Victims, Perpetrators, or Moral Agents: Children and Youth Survivors of the War in the Democratic Republic of Congo

This article examines the pervasive use of sexual violence as a weapon of war in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), highlighting its devastating impact on women, children, and communities. Drawing on interviews with survivors, former Mayi Mayi combatants, and local advocates in Kamina, the study documents the intersections of rape, food scarcity, displacement, and child soldiering within Congo’s protracted conflict. Particular attention is given to the psychosocial consequences of rape witnessed by children, the culture of silence and shame that stigmatizes survivors, and the ways in which violence is entangled with economic and political systems of exploitation. Yet the analysis also foregrounds the moral agency of Congolese children, adults, and communities who resist cycles of violence through survival, education, peacemaking traditions, and grassroots advocacy. Initiatives such as the Ambassador Girls’ Education Program and agricultural rehabilitation projects demonstrate how local resilience is sustained through both indigenous practices and international solidarity. The article argues that responding to gender-based violence in the DRC requires not only direct attention to survivors but also systemic rebuilding of food, health, and social infrastructures. In doing so, it reframes children not merely as victims or perpetrators but as agents of resistance and hope in the midst of war.