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Kenya: 

Children Fighting Somalia's Wars

Samwel Kumba and Zamzam Tatu

6 November 2010

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Nairobi — Sixty per cent of soldiers involved in Somalia's conflict are children, a UN official has said.
The secretary-general's Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Dr Radhika Coomaraswamy, told the Sunday Nation that a majority of the children had been enlisted in militia groups fighting the Transitional Federal Government (TFG).
However, Dr Coomaraswamy could not establish the exact number of children involved.

Dr Coomaraswamy, who had earlier met with Somalia's new Prime Minister, Mohammed Abdullahi Mohammed in Mogadishu, said the TFG had pledged to put an end to the recruitment of children. She hoped that the militia groups, including the al-Shabaab and Hizbul Islam, would follow suit.
"Unfortunately my office has no access to the insurgent groups, but we hope that they will abide by international humanitarian law and release all children within their ranks," she said.
She urged states who have influence over the groups to press for the protection of children by asking the insurgents to release child soldiers.

During the meeting, the new PM also announced his government's commitment to eradicate the recruitment of child soldiers. Mr Mohammed agreed to form a task force that will work with the United Nations to help put an end to the practice and secure the release of serving child soldiers.

Persistent violator

The TFG and militias allied to it, have been on the secretary-general's "shame" list for recruitment and use of children in war for five consecutive years, earning the tag "persistent violator".
And in a meeting with the African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom), Dr Coomaraswamy raised concerns over the killing and maiming of civilians, including children, through indiscriminate shelling.

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However, she was assured that rules of engagement were in place and every measure will be taken to prevent any further civilian deaths.
Meanwhile, Amisom has announced plans to train more than 800 Somali police officers as it seeks to extend its control of Mogadishu.
The programme is also aimed at providing the transitional government with a professional police force in line with international standards.
For a country that has been in political turmoil for nearly two decades, the entire peace keeping process will have to get a new face in dealing with armed opposition groups.
Through Amisom's training programme, the officers will be mentored on community policing, human rights, logistics and management.