Ituri: 55 children rescued from armed groups thanks to an international NGO project

Bunia, July 21^st, 2026 (CPA). – Fifty-five children have been rescued from armed groups in Ituri, in the north-west of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), as part of the Child Protection Project (CDCS) implemented by Save the Children, an official from the NGO has affirmed on Tuesday during a press briefing. “The results are very satisfactory. We have provided protection support for 55 children who had been released from armed groups, as well as for children who had been separated from their families – in other words, we have succeeded in reuniting them,” has declared Dr Felix Musikya, head of Save the Children’s office in Ituri.  “This press briefing aimed to present Save the Children’s work in Ituri to the media, as well as to share the results of the CDCS project, which is now drawing to a close. Most of the indicators have been met by more than 80 %, which we consider a real success,” he has added.  Implemented in three phases, Mr Musikya has indicated, “this project has helped to strengthen the protection of vulnerable children through the management of protection cases, the family reunification of children separated from their loved ones, and the reintegration of children associated with armed groups”. He has noted that his organisation is continuing its efforts to mobilise resources in order to sustain the gains made and ensure the continuity of child protection activities after the project’s conclusion. “We have put in place an exit plan that aims to empower beneficiary communities so that they can continue protection activities even after the project has ended,” he has concluded.