“Sometimes they remain silent, then suddenly, they become agitated. As if something is blocking them,” he continues.
Dazzling diamonds
In the east of the country, fractured by years of armed conflicts, these adolescents are trying, with the help of a local NGO, to overcome their traumas and build their future away from violence.
“They have all, at some point, been captured by armed groups,” explains the 53-year-old instructor, who has been teaching them for three years.
With 75,000 inhabitants, Bria, nicknamed “the sparkling one” due to its diamond-rich subsoil, is the capital of the Haute-Kotto prefecture, a region marked by the persistent presence of rebel groups.
The number of armed groups in the Central African Republic has decreased since the peak of the crisis, dropping from about twenty to 14 recognized by the authorities. This reduction is partly thanks to around ten peace agreements and disarmament programs since 2012, including the latest one signed in July 2025.
However, some factions and militias continue to control vast areas, especially in the east of the country, bordering Sudan and South Sudan.
Since late 2025, fighting between the army and rebels has intensified, leading to the displacement of tens of thousands of civilians, mostly women and children, within the country and towards the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Violence from the past
At the front of the class, where traditional benches have been replaced with sewing machines, 14-year-old Awa (all names of minors have been changed) was only 14 years old when she was abducted by members of the Unit for Peace in the Central African Republic (UPC), one of the country’s most important rebel groups.
She was held captive for about three months. She prefers not to talk about her captivity conditions and focuses on the present: “Today, I feel good. I love what I do here. There are other children who have a similar story to mine. We support each other in our work,” the young girl tells AFP, “happy” to be able to enjoy “some sense of normality.”
Amadou, trained as a baker by the NGO at the age of 16, makes bread and donuts every morning in his village. He spent a year and a half in the UPC ranks: “We were not asked to bear arms, but we were there. Like servants. We did menial tasks without rest. And on top of that, they spoke to us harshly with hard words,” he recalls, bringing up painful memories.
For these children, discussing the violence of the past remains a difficult task.
Rachelle, who is learning animal husbandry with Espérance, also wants to tell her story. For a year, when she was only 14 years old, she was used as a sex slave. “They forced me to do things. In the end, I had to do it, or else the consequences were severe,” she bravely confides.
From this experience, Rachelle won’t say more. “The thoughts are still there. I find it hard not to see them,” especially since she has received no news of her mother, who was kidnapped at the same time.
In 2025, 52 students were supported by the NGO Espérance for professional reintegration.
Operating since 2016, the Central African association, partially financed by UNICEF, offers beneficiaries psychosocial support in addition to training.
Recent disarmament operations have led to an increase in demand: “Before, we would receive maybe one call per month. Today, it’s every week,” says Karl Malone, tasked with identifying new cases of child soldiers in the Bria region.
“This year, we received enough funding to help 100 children,” he says. However, “there are at least 117 (in total) who need help. And we can’t take care of them all,” the humanitarian worker sighs.
Like other humanitarian aid sectors, the NGO has been affected by the decrease in international funding, especially from USAID, the American development agency disbanded shortly after Donald Trump returned to power in the United States.
According to the latest annual report from the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the recruitment and use of children by armed forces and groups remain the most frequent violation of children’s rights in the Central African Republic, accounting for 65% of reported cases.
According to UNICEF, around 2,000 Central African children are still being used by armed groups.
