MOGADISHU (Kaab TV) – The United Nations has announced that the Somali government has been removed from the list of parties accused of recruiting children into armed conflict, specifically within its police and military forces.
The UN described this development as a major achievement, reflecting many years of work carried out by the Somali government and its partners.
The UN report on children and armed conflict in Somalia, which was submitted to the Security Council, highlights both the scale of violations committed against children and the efforts being made to prevent them.
According to the report, 8,493 violations were recorded in Somalia between 2021 and 2024, 6,801 of which were committed against children. The most common violations include the recruitment of child soldiers, the abduction of children, and the killing of minors.
Al-Shabaab is responsible for 66% of all verified violations, including increased child recruitment and indoctrination in mosques and Qur’an schools within the areas it controls. Some of the children recruited were as young as 8 years old.
UN agencies have called for an immediate end to the recruitment of children, as well as the protection of schools and health facilities, in order to strengthen systems that prevent such abuses.
Despite the progress made, the UN warned that Al-Shabaab remains responsible for the majority of human rights violations in the country, including killings, abductions, and attacks targeting civilians, aid workers, and government institutions.