February 19, 2012

Key Recommendations

To the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia, and Transitional Federal Institutions

End all recruitment and use of children under age 18 by TFG forces and aligned militias by developing and adopting a national action plan that establishes rigorous and systematic screening procedures, and by holding to account anyone found to be conscripting or using children, consistent with widely accepted international standards.
Develop procedures to transfer captured children promptly to civilian rehabilitation and reintegration programs. Children should not be detained solely for their association with armed forces and groups.
Map key civilian infrastructure, including schools, with the assistance of relevant agencies including the Education Cluster. Use this map to identify and protect schools in areas of TFG military operations.
Ensure that all credible allegations of violations of international human rights and humanitarian law by TFG forces and aligned armed groups are promptly, impartially, and transparently investigated, and that those responsible for serious abuses, regardless of rank, are held to account.

Immediately cease recruitment of children under 18 years old and release all children currently in al-Shabaab forces who are under 18.
Immediately end the abduction of girls and women, and release all girls and women abducted for forced marriage or other purposes.
Ensure that schools are identified and protected and that students, teachers, and school administrators are able to safely leave school buildings during military operations where they may be at risk.

Map out key civilian infrastructure, including schools, with the assistance of relevant agencies, including the Education Cluster, in order to ensure that schools in areas of military operations are identified and protected.

Provide the TFG with the necessary support and capacity to systematically and effectively screen all its recruits by age in order to prevent the recruitment and use of children within its forces.
Ensure that trainings provided to the TFG forces and personnel include appropriate training in international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians and civilian objects and protection of children’s rights.
Support and fund an increase in the capacity of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to monitor rights violations.

Intensify pressure on the TFG to immediately adopt and promptly implement a time-bound UN action plan to end the recruitment and use of children, one that includes screening procedures to ensure that children are not recruited into the TFG or included in aligned militias that are integrated into the TFG armed forces.

Greatly expand demobilization, rehabilitation, and reintegration programs for children formerly associated with fighting forces and children recruited for forced marriage.