UNICEF says armed men in eastern DR Congo raped hundreds of children

FILE - Congolese children watch the deployment of government and U.N. troops outside Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, Jan. 24, 2025, as M23 rebels are reported to be closing in on the town.

Armed men in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo raped hundreds of children and recruited child soldiers at unprecedented levels, the U.N. children's fund said Thursday, as the conflict in the mineral-rich region intensified in recent weeks.