The United States renewed its call for better protection of children caught in armed conflicts, highlighting the alarming situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The statement came during the 10,182nd session of the United Nations Security Council dedicated to children and armed conflict worldwide.
Ambassador Jennifer Locetta, the U.S. alternate representative for special political affairs at the U.S. Mission to the UN, spoke on behalf of the American government. She emphasized that children continue to bear the heaviest cost of wars raging across multiple regions.
“No child should be denied safety,” the diplomat stated, echoing a message previously delivered by First Lady Melania Trump during a Security Council meeting in March. On that occasion, she drew attention to the devastating consequences of international conflicts on children.
The DRC among top concerns
During her address, Jennifer Locetta named the Democratic Republic of the Congo among countries where child rights violations remain especially severe. The United States condemned these abuses, stating that Congolese children continue to be the primary victims of ongoing clashes between armed groups in the eastern part of the country.
“In conflict zones worldwide, children face numerous threats. In Sudan, reports emerge of children driven from their homes, separated from families, and subjected to sexual violence. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, millions of children endure the threat of violence, forced displacement, and conflict-related sexual abuse perpetrated by various armed groups. We strongly condemn these acts of violence, and under the Trump presidency, the United States continues to prioritize peace,” she stated in her speech on Wednesday, June 24, 2026.
Children, the primary victims of conflicts
The U.S. ambassador highlighted that children are not merely collateral victims of wars; they are often directly targeted. According to her, conflicts also undermine their access to safe, quality education, fueling a vicious cycle of poverty, instability, and violence passed from generation to generation.
“Too often, conflicts deprive children of reliable, safe education, cutting off their paths to the future and compromising their prospects. As everyone knows, this results in a cycle of poverty and instability handed down from generation to generation, fueling further conflicts and undermining global stability and economic prosperity. Everywhere in the world, children deserve to feel safe, to be educated, and to have a future. By taking steps to protect them, we safeguard our collective future and help end persistent conflicts,” she noted in her remarks.
Criticism of the UN report
The U.S. diplomat also criticized the latest report from the UN Secretary-General on children and armed conflict (CAAC), arguing it does not strengthen child protection in war zones. Jennifer Locetta said, “The latest report of the UN Secretary-General on children and armed conflict (CAAC) does not bring us closer to that goal.” She claimed the document presents “a flawed view of civilian harm under the laws of war,” asserting that “the deliberate killing of children by the Houthis or other malicious armed groups constitutes a grave violation; the accidental killing of civilians by a state’s armed forces does not.”
For the U.S. representative, this report once again illustrates “how the UN devotes time and resources to initiatives incompatible with the interests and sovereignty of member states.”
“This report only reinforces the United States’ decision to withdraw from the Office of the Special Representative for Children in Armed Conflict. It further damages that office’s credibility by wrongly equating the actions of U.S. armed forces with those of Houthi terrorists. Protecting children remains a priority for the United States. We continue to call for concrete measures to prevent children from being involved in armed conflicts. Publishing politicized, inaccurate reports will not achieve those goals,” she declared.
A call for international action
Beyond the DRC, the United States also referenced situations in Sudan, Ukraine, and Haiti, urging all parties to conflicts to better protect children from violence, forced displacement, and grave rights abuses. For Washington, child protection remains essential for fostering long-term peace and stability in regions affected by armed conflicts.
The impact of the conflict on children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo manifests primarily through six grave violations: recruitment and use of children, killing and maiming, rape and other forms of sexual violence against children, attacks on schools, hospitals, and associated protected persons, abduction of children, and denial of humanitarian access.
Although the situation was already alarming, it has further deteriorated with the resurgence of the AFC/M23 rebellion, backed by Rwanda, which currently occupies large swaths of North Kivu and South Kivu provinces, despite diplomatic initiatives led by the United States, Qatar, and the African Union.
Clément Muamba
