For more information, visit: • To encourage the U.S. Government "Children Carry Guns for a U.S. • UN General Assembly Resolution to act, contact: Ally, Somalia.” by Jeffery A/64/742–S/2010/181, 13, April 2010. Gettleman in The New York http://daccess-dds- Wooster's Congressmen: Times, 13, June 2010. ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N10/311/ Jim Renacci http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/14 28/PDF/N1031128.pdf?OpenElement D.C. Office: 202.225.3876 /world/africa/14somalia.html? Canton Office: 330.489.4414 ref=africa Larry Obhof • • “Children At War (With Funding Columbus Office: 614.466.7505 “UN Condemns Somalia's use of From the U.S.)” by Kaila Clarke Ron Amstutz Child Soldiers, but US aid Still in the Institute for Policy Columbus Office: 614.466.1474 Flows.” by Howard LaFranchi in Studies, 21, June 2010. The Christian Science Monitor, http://www.ips- Governor John Kasich: 16, June 2010. dc.org/blog/children_at_war_wi Riffe Center, 30th Floor http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/For th_funding_from_the_us 77 South High Street eign-Policy/2010/0616/UN- Columbus, Oh 43215-6117 condemns-Somalia-s-use-of- 614.466.3555 child-soldiers-but-US-aid-still- To email, visit: flows http://governor.ohio.gov/Cont • act /ContacttheGovernor.aspx “In The Line of Fire: Somallia's Children Under Attack.” by President Barack Obama: Amnesty International, July The White House 2011. 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW http://www.amnestyusa.org/sites Washington, DC 20500 /default/files/afr520012011en.p 202.456.1111 df To email, visit: • http://www.whitehouse.gov/con “Somalia: Recruitment of Child tact/submit-questions-and- Soldiers on the Increase.” IRIN, comments 21, March 2011. http://www.irinnews.org/report.a spx?reportid=92249 Somali Child Soldiers The Situation in Somalia Steps Toward Change There are an estimated 2,000-3,000 children in the various UNICEF, the UN's children fund, has programs to help armed groups, including the Transitional Federal reintegrate former child soldiers back into society, Government (TFG), Al-Shabab, Jabathul Islamiya, Hizbul including psycho-social support and returning them to Islam, and the ICU, and it is believed that every armed school. The International Labor Organization also provides group in the nation uses child soldiers. According to Ali skills and livelihood training. The he Somali president, Sheikh Yassin, vice-chairman of Somalia’s Elman Peace prime minister, and minister of defense committed this year Centre, about 20 percent of government troops and 80 to ratifying the Convention, but they have yet to take any percent of rebel troops are children. The U.S funds most concrete steps towards ratification. of the TFG's military operations; despite that fact that it was revealed that the Somali government, just like the rebels, uses children as foot soldiers, funding continues to flow in. The U.S and Somalia are the only countries that have refused to ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which prohibits the use of child soldiers. Children in Somalia The UN carried out research in June 2009 which confirms that the recruitment of children has become systematic and widespread, and there appears to have been a major increase in recruitment since January 2011. Al-Shabab recruits through luring children to join them by promising phones and money, ideological indoctrination in mosques, using children previously recruited as recruitment agents to more aggressive techniques such as threats to children and their relatives, raids on schools, and abductions. The insurgent group Hizbul Islam reportedly has 30 persons dedicated to recruiting children, and the group is estimated to have around 500 active child soldiers. Al-Shabab recruitment of children has been especially intense in Mogadishu, Brava, Kismayo, Baidoa, the Sakow district in the Middle Juba region and the Gedo region. Al-Shabab is reportedly training children in how to use firearms and handle grenades and improvised explosive devices in Bay, Bakool, Galgaduud, Hiran, Mogadishu, and Raskiambooni. In 2009 alone, al-Shabab reportedly recruited 600 children. Every six months, 270 boys around the age of 12 “graduate” from the training camp at Raskiambooni to operational units..