Mogadishu — The United Nations has announced that Somalia's police and military forces have been removed from the list of parties accused of recruiting and using child soldiers, hailing the move as a major milestone following years of joint efforts with the Somali government. The development was revealed in a UN report on children and armed conflict in Somalia submitted to the Security Council, which documents patterns of grave violations against children and the measures taken to address them. According to the report, 8,493 violations were recorded in Somalia between 2021 and 2024, 6,801 of which targeted children. The most widespread abuses included child recruitment, abduction and killing. Al-Shabaab was responsible for 66 percent of all verified violations, the UN said, noting an increase in the group's recruitment of children and the indoctrination of minors in mosques and Qur'anic schools under its control. Some of the children recruited were as young as eight years old. UN agencies urged all parties to immediately end the recruitment and use of children and called for stronger protection of schools and health facilities to prevent further abuses. Despite the progress made with the removal of Somali security forces from the blacklist, the UN warned that Al-Shabaab remains the primary perpetrator of human-rights violations in the country, including killings, abductions and attacks targeting civilians, aid workers and government institutions.

Somalia: UN Removes Somali Security Forces From Child-Soldier Blacklist

Mogadishu — The United Nations has announced that Somalia's police and military forces have been removed from the list of parties accused of recruiting and using child soldiers, hailing the move as a major milestone following years of joint efforts with the Somali government. The development was revealed in a UN report on children and armed conflict in Somalia submitted to the Security Council, which documents patterns of grave violations against children and the measures taken to address them. According to the report, 8,493 violations were recorded in Somalia between 2021 and 2024, 6,801 of which targeted children. The most widespread abuses included child recruitment, abduction and killing. Al-Shabaab was responsible for 66 percent of all verified violations, the UN said, noting an increase in the group's recruitment of children and the indoctrination of minors in mosques and Qur'anic schools under its control. Some of the children recruited were as young as eight years old. UN agencies urged all parties to immediately end the recruitment and use of children and called for stronger protection of schools and health facilities to prevent further abuses. Despite the progress made with the removal of Somali security forces from the blacklist, the UN warned that Al-Shabaab remains the primary perpetrator of human-rights violations in the country, including killings, abductions and attacks targeting civilians, aid workers and government institutions. Read the original article on Shabelle. AllAfrica publishes around 600 reports a day from more than 120 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct. 11 December 2025 Shabelle Media Network (Mogadishu) Tagged: Somalia East Africa Legal Affairs External Relations International Organisations Arms and Armies Conflict Children Tagged: Somalia East Africa Legal Affairs External Relations International Organisations Arms and Armies Conflict Children Tagged: Somalia East Africa Legal Affairs External Relations International Organisations Arms and Armies Conflict Children