Somalia
Advocacy
In the annexes of his 2026 annual report on children and armed conflict (CAAC), the Secretary-General listed the Somalia National Army and the Somali Police Force for killing and maiming and rape and other forms of sexual violence as well as Al-Shabaab for all listable grave violations. The UN verified 2,195 grave violations against 1,703 children (1,286 boys, 417 girls). The UN verified the recruitment and use of 701 children, 560 attributed to Al-Shabaab, the killing and maiming of 473 children, sexual violence against 201 girls, 32 attacks on schools and hospitals, the abduction of 785 children, and three incidents of denial of humanitarian access. Majority of grave violations were attributed to Al-Shabaab, including a notable rise in 2025 in abductions and threats against teachers. The UN also verified the detention of 91 children for alleged association with armed groups, all of whom were released. The Security Council should:
- Welcome the signing and full implementation of the 2025 Roadmap, the rollout of the age assessment guidelines and standardized checklist, and the implementation of the 2014 Standard Operating Procedure for the handover of children allegedly associated with armed groups;
- Considering UNTMIS drawdown in October 2026 and the handover of children and armed conflict tasks to UNICEF and the UN Country Team, urge donors to ensure resourcing for continued monitoring and reporting coverage, especially in areas under non-State actor influence, in implementation of the Security Council’s children and armed conflict mandate;
- In light of the constitutional progress and reported changes made to the age of the child in Somalia, as well as the ongoing reviews of child rights laws, urge the Federal Government of Somalia to align measures with its international and regional human rights obligations and retain the definition of a child as any human being under 18 years of age as per the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
THE UNITED KINGDOM IS THE SECURITY COUNCIL PENHOLDER ON SOMALIA.
This information is based on Watchlist’s Children and Armed Conflict Monthly Update – July 2026.
UN Action
Year listed: 2003
Action Plans signed: Somali National Army – recruitment and use of children (July 2012) and killing and maiming of children (August 2012); Roadmap to expedite the implementation of the two action plans adopted in October 2019.
Sanctions Committee: Somalia Sanctions Committee (Current Chair: Belgium)
Secretary-General’s reports on CAAC in Somalia: 2022; 2020; 2016; 2010; 2008; 2007
Security Council Working Group conclusions on Somalia: 2020; 2017; 2011; 2008; 2007
Missions: UNSOM, AMISOM
Perpetrators listed in the annexes of the Secretary-General’s annual reports on children and armed conflict
| 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transitional National Government | a | ||||||||||||||
| Juba Valley Alliance | a | a | |||||||||||||
| Somali Reconciliation and Restoration Council | a | ||||||||||||||
| Rahanwein Resistance Army (RRA) | a | a, b | |||||||||||||
| Rahanwein Resistance Army (RRA/SNSC) of Mohamed Ibrahim Habsade | a | ||||||||||||||
| United Somali Congress/Somali Salvation Alliance (USC/SSA)-faction of Muse Sudi Yalahow) | a | ||||||||||||||
| Middle Shabelle Administration | a, b | ||||||||||||||
| Puntland Administration | a, b | ||||||||||||||
| Somali Patriotic Movement/Somali Reconciliation and Restoration Council | a, b | ||||||||||||||
| (SPM/SRRC) | |||||||||||||||
| United Somali Congress (USC) of Mohamed Kanyare Afrah | a, c | ||||||||||||||
| United Somali Congress/Somali Salvation Alliance (USC/SSA) of Omar | a, c | ||||||||||||||
| Mohamed | |||||||||||||||
| Lower Shabelle Administration | a | ||||||||||||||
| Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counter Terrorism (ARPCT) | a, b, d | ||||||||||||||
| Union of the Islamic Courts (ICU) | a, b | ||||||||||||||
| Remnants of the former Union of the Islamic Courts (UIC) | a, b | a, b, d | |||||||||||||
| Transitional Federal Government (TFG) | a, b, c, d, f | a, b, d | a, b | a, b | a, b | ||||||||||
| Al-Shabaab* | a, b, d | a, b | a, b | a, b | a, b | a,b | a,b | a,b,e | a,b,e | ||||||
| Hizbul Islam | a | a, b | |||||||||||||
| Somali National Army (SNA) (Formerly listed as Somali National Armed Forces)~* | a, b | a,b | a,b | a,b | a,b | ||||||||||
| Ahl al-Sunna wal-Jama’a (ASWJ) | a | a | a,b | a |
a: Parties that recruit and use children
b: Parties that kill and maim children
c: Parties that commit rape and other forms of sexual violence against children
d: Parties that engage in attacks on schools and/or hospitals
e: Parties that engage in abduction of children
f: Parties that deny humanitarian access to children
~ This party has concluded an action plan with the United Nations in line with Security Council resolutions 1539 (2004) and 1612 (2005).
* This party has been in the annexes for at least five years and is therefore considered a persistent perpetrator.
