By Mohamed Dhoree/Somalia
On Wednesday, 17 December 2025, the Government of Somalia and the United Nations signed an Implementation Guide aimed at putting into action the 2025 Roadmap to strengthen the protection of children affected by armed conflict. The agreement seeks to enhance the capacity to prevent and monitor violations against children, promote cooperation among national and security institutions, and improve support services for children affected by conflict.
The signing of this agreement comes at a time when a United Nations report released on 10 December 2025 shows that children in Somalia continue to be severely affected by conflict and insecurity, despite tangible efforts made by the Government of Somalia to protect their rights. The report confirms that between October 2021 and September 2024, a total of 8,493 violations were verified against 6,801 children across different parts of the country.
The report indicates that the Al-Shabaab group remains a major security concern in Somalia and was responsible for a large share of serious violations committed against children. It was found that 1,481 children were affected by more than one violation, including abduction for the purpose of recruitment into armed groups, rape, and severe injury.
The most frequently documented violations were the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict, abduction, killing, and maiming, which together accounted for 89 percent of the verified violations. The Government of Somalia and the United Nations stated that the implementation of the 2025 Roadmap will focus on preventing violations, strengthening cooperation in holding perpetrators accountable, and providing appropriate assistance to affected children.
