Recently, the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia has been accused by the United Nations in the annual report of the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict of being one of the “most persistent violators” of using child soldiers.
As a result of their ongoing support of the Somali Transitional Government - as a part of their effort to eradicate terrorism from the Horn of Africa – the United States is subsequently being accused of possible violations of the Child Soldier Prevention provision of the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008; the Durbin-Coburn Child Soldiers Accountability Act; and the Durbin-Coburn Human Rights Enforcement Act. Senator Richard J. Durbin, Democrat of Illinois recently voiced his concern relating to these issues in a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.
According to a recent article in the New York Times, the transitional government has demonstrated a willingness to recruit and retain child soldiers. A Somali government official was quoted as saying,”I’ll be honest, we were trying to find anyone who could carry a gun.” And Ali Sheikh Yassin, vice-chairman of Elman Peace and Human Rights Center in Mogadishu, said that about 20 percent of government troops (thought to number 5,000 to 10,000) were children and that about 80 percent of the rebels were.
Somalia’s president, Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed, has promisted to look into the matter.
Filed under: Somalia, United Nations
August 15, 2008 • 8:37 am
Here is a list of organizations, centers, (centres) that treat former child soldiers and child victims of war in Somalia. Due to the current security situation in the country, many of these organizations might not longer be operating or have suspended operations.
Lists for other countries are in the works and will follow. A list of organizations in Uganda is here.
- Somalia Child Soldier Relief Organization - Somalia. Mission is to improve the living conditions of Somali children affected by the civil war. Even though the organization shares the same values and goals of other international child soldier organizations, it’s primary aim is to assist these children long before they are coerced to take up arms.
- Somali Children Rights Organization (Sochro) – Somalia. Goals are to form school education provided to be deemed adequate, and adapted to suit the needs of each individual child, by teaching methods, attitudes and the educational environment; and to protect children from conflicts and emergencies as well as heightened level of risk – ensuring that children’s rights are respected through creating awareness and using the mass-media.
- Somali Youth of Peace and Development- Somalia. SYPD is committed to establish vocational projects in which youth are trained in skills that enable them to acquire jobs and income. SYPD is also committed to empower young girls in Somalia.
- Women and Child Care Organization (WOCCA) - Somalia. Women and Child Care Organization is a non-governmental, non-political and non-profit making women’s organisation, established in 1996 by Somali professionals.
- UNICEF PROJECTS - Somalia. Contact Denise Shepherd-Johnson, Chief, Communication, UNICEF Somalia, Tel: +254 20 762-3958; Mob: +254 722 919 867; E-mail: dshepherdjohnson@unicef.org
• Marissa Buckanoff, Director, Public Relations, United States Fund for UNICEF, Tel: +1 212 922 2485; E-mail:MBuckanoff@unicefusa.org
- The Marka Militia Rehabilitation Center- Somalia. Funded by the EU and run by IIDA. No other information available.
- Dadihiye Somali Development Organisation Somali Youth Empowerment Support (SYES)- United Kingdom. Supports the unaccompanied Somali minors and young people effected by sweeping changes to the lives of many young Somali Children who were traumatised by the Somali civil war, and may have no immediate families in the UK.
- Somali Youth Development Organization (SYDO) – Somalia. Mission is to upgrade the living standard of Somali Youth Community by providing technical assistance. Website no longer works, organization might be defunct.
- Elam Child Soldier Rehabilitation Project- Somalia. A program designed to reintegrate former child soldiers by providing vocational training, assistance in building conflict resolution skills, and psychological counseling. (couldn’t get any current information, or contact information on this).
Filed under: Somalia, Treatment Centers , child soldier, children, rehabilitation, Somali, Somalia, War, youth
A new report, released recently from the United Nations, cited grave children rights violations – including child soldier recruitment – being committed by all fighting forces in Somalia, including the Transitional Federal Government (TFG), the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC), and Al-Shabaab (designated a terrorist organization by U.S. Dept of State in March). From UN.org.
…the level of grave violations against children in Somalia has been increasing over the past year, particularly with regard to the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict… Mr. Ban called on the TFG and opposition groups to renounce the recruitment and use of children in their armed forces…
Quoted directly from the UN report:
The recruitment and use of children in armed forces and groups continues to be a critical concern and challange, exacerbated by broad cultural acceptance.
The widespread use of children in almost all fighting forces in the country was noted, particularly in Mogadishu.
…children have been used to plant roadside bombs and other explosive devices, leading to a few deaths and several injuries among the children… It has been reported that street children are being used for the planting of these devices, frequently without their knowledge. It has also been reported that Al-Shabaab is training children as young as 8 years of age in special camps to plant bombs and carry out assassinations, offering a financial reward for those acts.
The report by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon strongly urges Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government to stop all new recruitment of children and to demobilize unconditionally all children who participate in any capacity in its armed forces.
Here is a resolution from the European Parliment on the Routine Killings of Civilians in Somalia from June. Note item E:
…whereas the UN Secretary-General has expressed concern at the increase in the recruitment of child soldiers, particularly in Mogadishu, and the widespread use of children in almost all fighting forces in Somalia.
Filed under: Somalia, United Nations , Africa, child soldier, children, Human Rights, news, Somalia, United Nations, War, world
…according to this article:
Over 3000 child soldiers arrived in Afgoye town, 30 km away from Mogadishu, on Tuesday [emphasis added] and started to attack civilians and loot shops, Press TV corresponent reported. The soldiers are estimated to be less than 15 years old and they came to town on foot after 9 days.
Four child soldiers have already been killed in the fighting.
US ambassador to Ethiopia, Donald Yamamoto, says the United States recognizes Ethiopia’s contribution (from this article) in various peacekeeping operations in the region and other areas of conflict in Africa. However, various human rights organizations, such as Amnesty International, have cited grave abuses committed by the Ethiopian troops.
Some background on Somalia from the U.S. State Department: the country has faced conflict since 1991, when warlords took over the country after overthrowing their dictator, Mohamed Siad Barre. A couple of years ago, Islamist militants began to take over southern Somalia, including Mogadishu. Troops from Ethiopia were deployed in December 2006 to assist with removing the Islamists from the capital. Ever since, the capital and much of the country has been mired in a civil war between the government and its Ethiopian allies, and the Islamist insurgents.
Filed under: Ethiopia, Human Rights, Somalia , Africa, child soldiers, children, current affairs, Ethiopia, news, Somalia, War
