BUTEMBO: P-DDRCS TRAINS CHILD AGE VERIFIERS WITH A FOCUS ON GENDER-SENSITIVE DDR
Butembo, October 29, 2025 — In a continued effort to strengthen the protection and reintegration of children affected by armed conflict, the North Kivu Provincial Coordination of the P-DDRCS has launched a three-day training workshop in Butembo, targeting child age verifiers from the Lubero-Butembo antenna.
This workshop is a critical step in enhancing the operational capacity of field actors responsible for identifying and verifying the ages of children associated with armed forces and groups (CAAFAGs), with a view to facilitating their safe separation, protection, and community reintegration.
The training covers not only the technical standards of age verification and post-demobilization tracking mechanisms but also places a strong emphasis on child protection norms, gender-sensitive approaches, and inclusive reintegration models tailored to the specific needs of girls and boys existing armed groups.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Éric KATEMBO MASINDA, Head of the Lubero-Butembo office, highlighted the importance of gender integration in all stages of the child DDR process. “Reintegrating children is not simply a logistical process—it is a human commitment that must reflect the distinct experiences of boys and girls. Girls formerly associated with armed groups often face layers of trauma, stigma, and invisibility. This training must empower you to respond to those realities with care, accuracy, and professionalism,” he said.
Mr. Katembo reaffirmed that the protection and reintegration of children, especially girls is a national imperative, aligned with the vision of the Head of State and executed under the leadership of Professor Jean de Dieu Désiré NTANGA NTITA, National Coordinator of the P-DDRCS. The program seeks not only to demobilize but to restore dignity, inclusion, and opportunity for all children, regardless of gender.
This activity reflects the P-DDRCS’s broader strategy of delivering a gender-responsive and child-centered DDR framework, in line with international standards and the principles of the African Union and United Nations regarding children in armed conflict.
Communications Unit –P-DDRCS
