NAIROBI, 1 September 2009 (IRIN) - More children have been used and recruited by armed groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) than anywhere else in the world, according to the UN Children's Fund, UNICEF.

Describing the use and recruitment of children as another tragic consequence of conflict, the agency said an estimated 33,000 boys and girls had been involved since 1998.

"A 14-year-old boy whose name translated from Swahili to Innocent, told me he was forced to commit acts of sexual violence against women," UNICEF Executive Director Ann Veneman said after a recent visit to a rehabilitation centre for former child soldiers in eastern DRC.

"Another still believed that he was invincible against bullets, a common belief among the Mayi-Mayi traditional armed groups in eastern and central DRC."

Since the beginning of the year, UNICEF has facilitated the release of 2,813 children, including 360 girls, from groups that use them as soldiers, sexual slaves or labourers.

Source http://www.irinnews.org