Sunday, June 22, 2025-(HA)
Mogadishu: The Ministry of Defense of the Federal Government of Somalia has officially announced that the country has been removed from the United Nations blacklist of countries accused of recruiting child soldiers during armed conflicts.
The Ministry stated that this is a historic achievement resulting from close cooperation between the Federal Government of Somalia and UN agencies such as UNICEF and UNTMIS.
This development follows extensive efforts to ensure the protection of Somali children in accordance with the national constitution and international agreements signed by Somalia.
The Ministry of Defense also noted that the Child Protection Committee especially commended representatives from UN agencies and other stakeholders working to safeguard children’s rights.
The Ministry highlighted that the child protection system has been strengthened, which led to this success.
Additionally, the Ministry pledged to continue its efforts to build a professional, transparent national army that is free from any actions that could harm the safety of the public—especially Somali children.
