The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) revealed on Friday that rebels in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have strapped explosives to twin infant girls in an attempt to trap security forces, in an incident indicating a rise in violence against children in the region. The organization reported that the one-year-old infants were found in a village in northern Kivu, an area that has seen increased bomb attacks by a militant group known as the Allied Democratic Forces. Explosive experts successfully disarmed the bombs without detonation.
UNICEF's representative in Congo, Grant Leezy, stated at a press conference in Geneva: "The intention was for the belts to explode upon the arrival of police or Congolese army forces." He added that the growing use of improvised explosive devices is just one of several "immoral trends," as violence against children reaches unprecedented levels in eastern Congo. He noted, "Children are raped and killed daily. They are kidnapped, recruited, and exploited by armed groups, and we know that the available reports are just the tip of the iceberg."
The infants, whose identities have not been disclosed, are recovering from malnutrition at a United Nations facility before being placed in a care home. Their parents were killed in an attack believed to have been carried out by the Allied Democratic Forces. Leezy mentioned that although the twins are recovering well from malnutrition, the psychological scars may last a lifetime.
