Developments in Somalia

There has been growing evidence regarding the widespread and systematic recruitment of children in central and southern Somalia, with child recruitment patterns known to be significantly more aggressive on the anti-government elements’ side, especially within Al-Shabaab, including the newly merged Hizbul Islam. Partners on the ground consistently reported on the extensive forced recruitment of children by Al-Shabaab, especially in the schools. According to military sources, an estimated 2,000 children were abducted by Al-Shabaab in 2010 for military training in different camps in southern Somalia. An increasingly large number of these children are reportedly used by the insurgent groups to fight against the Government and troops of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) in Mogadishu, and, as a result, many of these children are killed, injured or captured by the armed forces or other armed groups. Further, while the recruitment of girls has been rare and is generally regarded as socially unacceptable, there are documented accounts of girls working for armed groups, particularly for cooking and cleaning. Girls are also brought in to transport detonators, provide logistics support and collect intelligence. Girls are also reported to be increasingly recruited for marriage to fighters. In October, Al-Shabaab summarily executed two teenage girls in Beled Weyne whom they accused of spying for the Transitional Federal Government.

Despite its official policy not to recruit children into its national security forces, it is reported that children continue to be associated with the Transitional Federal Government and its allied militia, including Ahlu Sunna Wal Jama’a, with 40 cases documented in 2010. Ensuring that no children are de facto recruited or used remains a challenge, particularly when applied to the integration of allied militia into the Transitional Federal Government armed forces. While some vetting procedures are reportedly being implemented by the Transitional Federal Government in Mogadishu to ensure that children are not recruited, gaps remain and to date stringent vetting procedures to assess age are being applied only to those recruits who are being trained outside Somalia. Recruits being trained by the Transitional Federal Government inside Somalia and those being integrated into the Government forces from allied militia groups are not subject to the same stringent vetting standards and procedures. The United Nations remains highly concerned with the lack of progress in the area. The Transitional Federal Government has not yet signed the Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict.

There were reported cases of children captured by the Government/AMISOM forces on the front line, as well as children who defected, many of whom were recruited from areas other than Mogadishu to fight for the armed insurgent groups. Upon defecting or self-demobilizing, these children find themselves alone in Mogadishu without any family or clan support and exposed to retaliation and re-recruitment. Family tracing and reunification are difficult in the current circumstances and may expose the children and their families to even higher protection threats if they come from areas under the control of insurgent groups. The United Nations recently initiated discussions with AMISOM to address this problem, including through the development of standard operating procedures to ensure that these cases are handled in line with relevant international standards. The Transitional Federal Government also expressed the need for urgent measures and programmes to be established to address the issue of child defectors.

There are increasing concerns about the detention of children in the central prison of Mogadishu. For example, between July and October, seven boys were reportedly being detained under different charges, including association with Al Shabaab. In addition, in Lower Shabelle and Marka, two boys were detained by Al-Shabaab for refusing to join its forces.

A total of 222 children were reportedly killed and 592 wounded or maimed in 2010 as a result of being caught in crossfire or mortar shelling during fighting between Transitional Federal Government forces, supported by AMISOM, and armed insurgents, primarily Al-Shabaab and Hizbul Islam, in and around Mogadishu. The number of child casualties is, however, estimated to be much higher according to the International Committee of the Red Cross. In 2010, out of more than 6,000 patients (compared to 5,000 in 2009 and 2,800 in 2008) admitted to Keysaney and Medina Hospitals, the two main referral hospitals in Mogadishu, approximately 40 per cent were women and children. Of particular concern was the recent increase in the number of civilians, among them many children, being killed or injured owing to the use of explosive weapons in populated areas.

The number of documented cases of sexual violence against children substantially increased in 2010 (462 cases), compared to 2009 (128 cases) in south-central Somalia, Somaliland and Puntland, the majority of which occurred in Somaliland and Puntland IDP settlements. In south-central Somalia, these violations are committed mainly by members of clan-based militia. The continued fighting has rendered women and children more vulnerable to sexual violence because of displacement, destitution, the breakdown of the rule of law and the emergence of freelance militias, working under informal local authorities, mostly associated with Al-Shabaab. Most at risk are women and girls living on the streets and in open and unprotected IDP settlements such as those in Bossaso, Galkayo and Hargeisa and along the Afgooye corridor. Further, allegations that Al-Shabaab combatants were systematically forcing girls into early marriages were received in October. Two cases perpetrated by the Transitional Federal Government were also documented.

Increasingly, schools, educational establishments, teachers and students are being targeted by Al-Shabaab and other militia groups for recruitment and use in the conflict. In June, Al-Shabaab reportedly ordered teachers and school managers in Lower Shabelle to release more than 300 students to be trained, failing which they would be punished. In south-central Somalia, approximately 52 schools suspended operations and activities in May alone owing to growing demands from the militia groups. In addition, several schools were closed, damaged and destroyed, as well as students killed and injured, owing to clashes between armed insurgents and the Transitional Federal Government forces in Mogadishu.

As a result of the intensification of the conflict throughout 2010, the humanitarian and security situations have deteriorated further, with the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimating that access for aid organizations in southern Somalia was at its lowest point since 2006. The operational environment for the United Nations is extremely restricted as Mogadishu remains inaccessible, except around the airport and the areas controlled by the Transitional Federal Government supported by AMISOM, while access to many southern and central parts of the country remains restricted for United Nations national staff. In 2010, seven international NGOs and one United Nations agency were expelled from south-central Somalia regions. An additional 12 international NGOs in the Lower Juba region suspended their activities in August following a raid by Al-Shabaab into their compounds, affecting approximately 130,000 people requiring humanitarian assistance, particularly children. Local Somali NGOs have been able to continue their work so far without major interruption, although under increasingly difficult conditions.

In my annual report on children and armed conflict issued in 2010 (A/64/742-S/2010/181), I raised the concerns about the alleged recruitment of young Kenyan Somali men and boys from North-eastern Province in Kenya, as well as Somali refugees from Dadaab refugee camp, in Kenya, to fight alongside the Transitional Federal Government in Somalia. This concern was raised with the Government of Kenya at the highest levels by the United Nations and other diplomatic missions. As a result, the Government, through its Joint Departmental Committee on Administration and National Security and the Committee on Defence and Foreign Relations, carried out a fact-finding mission to Garissa, Dadaab and Voi, in Kenya, in November 2009. United Nations sources confirmed that a vetting exercise was undertaken and anyone part of the recruitment drive who could not prove being over the age of 18 were removed and returned to their families. The report of the fact-finding mission was presented to the Kenya Parliament on 6 October 2010. It highlighted that young men and boys were susceptible to joining these groups owing to the high levels of poverty and unemployment in the north-eastern region. In addition, the Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs met with my Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict during her mission to Kenya and Somalia in November 2010, and reiterated the commitment of the Government that necessary protections and safeguards would be implemented at the border and in and around refugee camps, in conjunction with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to prevent the recurrence of such activities. The immediate action and vigilance by the Government of Kenya in investigating these allegations of underage recruitment are welcomed.

Children associated with piracy continued to be held in prisons in Puntland. During the year, 10 children convicted were released following the overturning of their sentences by the Bossaso Appeals Court. As of December, three children were in remand.

Information on progress made by parties to conflict on dialogue and action plans to halt the recruitment and use of children, patterns of killing and maiming of children or rape and other forms of sexual violence against children in armed conflict

Dialogue with the Transitional Federal Government on child protection issues has been very limited. Prime Minister Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed committed to nominating a focal point to work with the United Nations towards the development of an action plan to address the issue of child recruitment with the Transitional Federal Government and its allied militia in a meeting with my Special Representative on Children and Armed Conflict during her visit to Somalia. State Minister Zahra Ali Samantar was officially appointed by the Prime Minister in December as the focal point for child protection and human rights. Given the serious deterioration in the situation in Somalia with regard to the protection of civilians, and in particular children, throughout 2010, the development and implementation of a comprehensive time-bound action plan to stop and prevent the recruitment and use of children should be given urgent priority.

While advocacy efforts on child protection issues have been possible with the Transitional Federal Government, it has not been possible to engage with Al Shabaab and other insurgent groups owing to difficulties in contacting the group’s leadership and concerns over the possibility of further compromising humanitarian access.

Parties in Somalia

1. Al-Shabaab, including newly merged Hizbul Islama *, †
2. Transitional Federal Government (TFG) *, †