Two boys who were forcibly recruited into a rebel militia affiliated with the Islamic State group have revealed the “torture” of living in the group’s camp as it carried out massacres in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
The two minors rescued from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) have given AFP an unprecedented account of the shadowy group, which is notorious for its extreme brutality.
Paruku, a frail 12-year-old boy, spent two months with the Australian Defense Force after his mother was killed by rebels during an attack on a village in eastern North Kivu province. His brother and sister were also captured.
After being kidnapped when he was 12, 17-year-old Edward spent four grueling years with the ADF, made up of Ugandan rebels who had taken refuge in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The two boys, who used pseudonyms, spoke anonymously at a center dedicated to caring for minors recruited by armed groups in the region, but AFP chose not to reveal its location to avoid possible reprisals.
Their claims were confirmed by health and safety authorities.
Edward, a round-faced man who spoke quickly and without mincing words, described his years of “torture” within the ADF.
“We suffered greatly,” he said.
After their capture, Edward and Paruku were taken to an ADF base hidden in dense forests in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where the elusive rebels hide from patrols by Congolese and Ugandan troops deployed there since 2021.
The base consists of simple tents and tarps that are easily movable in the event of an attack.
Most of the occupants are women and children, who contribute to the group’s operations but also act as human shields, according to security sources.
Edward said new recruits were quickly forced to convert to Islam and learn Arabic, as well as English and Swahili.
“I also received medical training in treating casualties and we learned how to handle and clean weapons,” he said.
Paruku said he received similar training and learned how to “steal food, clothing and medicine to bring back to the ADF camp.”
– whipped –
Security sources said children played a central role in the group’s supplies. Those who fail to bring back the loot face severe penalties.
The wives of Australian Defense Force commanders, some of whom were particularly influential, also exercised power over young recruits.
When the warriors were out “on the move,” he said, the youngest, like Paruku, “should bring something back for the chief’s wife,” such as soap, cooking oil or cloth.
“To get it we have to rob people of their belongings and if the chief’s wife accuses her husband of you not bringing back what she wants, she can ask to kill you,” he said.
Edward and Paruku said they were constantly subjected to corporal punishment.
Girls and boys were whipped or thrown into pits for weeks for the slightest misbehavior.
“I was whipped for refusing to kill,” Paluku said after a long stare.
Edward fought with the group on at least three occasions against the Congolese army or local militias.
“They mostly beat us when we lost our weapons and ammunition, claiming we wasted them or lost them on the front lines,” he explained.
Confronted with such accusations, Edward said a chief ordered him to be whipped.
“I became ill from those whippings. I told the chief point-blank that I could no longer go to the front and fight, and I begged him to send other capable men, but that made him angrier and I was whipped again,” he said.
– Trauma –
On average, about 10 children rescued from the ADF arrive at the reception center in the troubled northeastern province of Ituri every month.
Madeleine, a psychologist at the centre, said: “These children have been traumatized and tortured and most are aggressive when they arrive here.”
She said their aggression disappears after a few weeks with other children and staff.
But there are other scars to contend with.
Edward became addicted to drugs administered by the rebels after being wounded in battle.
Madeleine said he suffered from a speech impediment and often spoke, sometimes incoherently, disturbing other residents.
After a year of ongoing treatment at the center, Edward recounted his horrific experience with a shy smile and lively, excited eyes.
Meanwhile, Palugu’s expression darkened, remembering his sister who was still being held hostage.
“She has become the wife of a leader in the Australian Defense Force,” he said.
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