82 Democratic Republic of Congo Children were recently rescued by the UN mission in the country from an armed group.

CEOAFRICA.com gathered that the children, including 13 girls, had been forcibly recruited in the past six months by the Mai Mai Bakata Katanga militia.

Forty of the rescued children have been reunited with their families and the others are said to be receiving care.

Sources disclosed that the region remains very restive, with local militia demanding a fairer distribution of wealth between the poorer north of Katanga and the southern zone where foreign mining firms operate.

Head of the UN mission in Democratic Republic of Congo Martin Kobler said, "We are extremely concerned by continued reports of active recruitment by Mai Mai Bakata Katanga and other armed groups in eastern DRC. Children face unacceptable risks when they are recruited for military purposes. The recruitment of children, particularly those under 15 years of age, could constitute a war crime and those responsible must be held to account."

It was also gathered that said that since the beginning of the year, 163 children, including 22 girls, have been removed from the militia.