Ending Use of Child Soldiers in Somalia
November 25, 2011
A young boy leads the hard-line Islamist Al Shabab fighters as they conduct military exercise in northern Mogadishu's Suqaholaha neighborhood, Somalia (File Photo)
This week, Somali government officials agreed to begin taking steps to end the recruitment of child soldiers. The Transitional Federal Government, or TFG, and the al Shabab militant group, are cited by the United Nations for using child combatants.
The agreement followed a meeting Wednesday between TFG officials and Radhika Coomaraswamy, U.N. special representative for children and armed conflict. She says the use of child soldiers in Somalia has been widespread.
“Well, it’s extensive. Every armed group in Somalia practically has child soldiers, except maybe the peacekeepers. The actual numbers I hesitate to say because we just can’t estimate,” she said.
She met with the Somali president, prime minister and minister of defense, who agreed to work closely with the U.N. on the issue.
“What we agreed on was…that there would be focal points in the government that will work on the issue of children in armed conflict. And that the TFG will enter into an action plan with the United Nations to release children that are in their ranks. And that they allow the U.N. to come and verify whether there are more children. And to also work with UNICEF on the reintegration of those children,” she said.
最新
2013-11-27
2013-11-27
2013-11-27
2013-11-27
2013-11-27
2013-11-27