This archive report was first published on 31 July 2019.
On July 30, 2019, the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres released an annual report on children and armed conflict, highlighting the alarming rates of child abuse in Somalia.
According to the report, Somalia is the world's leading violator of prohibitions against the recruitment and use of children for military purposes, with 2,300 documented cases in 2018.
Sexual violence against children is also a significant concern in Somalia, with 331 cases of rape and other sexual abuses reported in 2018, the highest number globally.
Al-Shabaab, a militant group, is responsible for the majority of child casualties, including the killing or maiming of 437 boys and girls in 2018.
However, Somali government forces were also found to be responsible for a significant number of child casualties, including 113 attributed to the national army and 26 to the police.
The African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom) killed or maimed 15 children in 2018, the report found.
Furthermore, Somalia's army and police recruited a total of 248 children in 2018, while Shabaab recruited 1,865 children, including by forcing clan elders and parents to provide children or face reprisal.
The UN report also found that the Somali National Army and police force were responsible for more verified incidents of sexual violence against children (63) than was al-Shabaab (46).
Overall, the number of Somali children affected by grave violations increased by 23 percent in 2018 compared to 2017, the UN said.
