By Mohamed Dhaysane
MOGADISHU, Somalia (AA) - The Somali government announced Sunday that the UN has delisted the country from parties involved in the recruitment of children in armed conflict.
The Defense Ministry said the “milestone” removal marks tangible progress in Somalia’s reform of its security institutions.
“This significant achievement is the result of close collaboration between the Federal Government of Somalia and the United Nations, particularly UNICEF and UNTMIS, under the framework of the National Action Plan on the Protection of Children in Armed Conflict,” it said.
It added that the plan was implemented in line with the Constitution and international legal obligations relating to child protection.
Somalia reaffirmed it remains fully committed to upholding all obligations and agreements on the protection of children in armed conflict.
It said Mogadishu would continue to lead efforts to build a professional, accountable national army free from any “violations against the Somali people and to defeat the terrorist group Al-Shabaab (Khawaarii), whose cruelty has long threatened the lives and future of Somali children”.
Khawarij is a term used by the Somali government to describe the al-Qaeda-affiliated terror group, al-Shabaab, that has been fighting the government since 2007.
Somalia remains in a protracted crisis, severely affecting children's safety, survival and well-being due to armed conflict, according to UNICEF.
Children are most of the new recruits of Al-Shabaab, as the group targets predominantly boys and young men between 12 and 24 years old, according to the European Union Agency for Asylum.