Somalia, UN Discuss New Approach To Protecting Children In Conflict

GOOBJOOG NEWS | MOGADISHU: Somalia’s defence ministry has held talks with the United Nations and UNICEF on improving how allegations of abuses against children and civilians are reported and followed up.

Defence Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi met the UN’s deputy special representative for Somalia and humanitarian coordinator, George Conway, and UNICEF’s representative in Somalia, Sandra Lattouf, in Mogadishu.

The discussions focused on creating a more coordinated system for reporting, recording and tracking allegations involving children and other civilians affected by armed conflict.

The officials also discussed speeding up Somalia’s National Action Plan on Children and Armed Conflict, which aims to strengthen protections for children caught up in the country’s long-running conflict.

The meeting comes as Somali forces continue operations against al-Shabab and the government seeks to strengthen the country’s security institutions.

For children living in areas affected by fighting, the consequences of the conflict can extend well beyond the battlefield. Displacement, interrupted schooling and exposure to violence remain major concerns for families caught up in the conflict.

Fiqi said Somali forces had made progress in protecting civilians, particularly children, and that military operations were being carried out in line with national policies and international obligations.

The minister also thanked the UN and UNICEF for their support and said Somalia wanted to strengthen cooperation with organisations involved in protecting children and civilians.

The proposed monitoring approach could give Somali authorities and international agencies a clearer way of identifying allegations, documenting them and following up on cases.

It could also help improve the information available to the UN when assessing the situation of children affected by Somalia’s conflict.

The meeting did not announce a new agreement or funding programme, but the focus on a coordinated reporting and monitoring mechanism points to an effort to make civilian and child protection a more systematic part of Somalia’s security response.