Somalia: Police present 9 child soldiers defected from Al Shabab

By: Abdalle Ahmed

The spokesman of the Somali police Col. Abdulahi Hassan Barise held a press conference at Waberi police station

Mogadishu (RBC) Somali transitional federal government police presented today to the local media 9 child soldiers defected from l Shabab rebel group in the capital.
The spokesman of the Somali police Col. Abdulahi Hassan Barise held a press conference at Waberi police station in the south of the capital told that the nine under-age children were recruited by Al Shabab fighters from their Koran schools and forced them to fight for them in the frontline.
“We were informed that the nine children were taken by force and they wanted to surrender to police. We had brought them to police centre and now they are safe and happy to be the government’s hand”, said the police spokesman.
Waberi district commissioner Ahmed Meyre who spoke at the press conference said the nine under children were students attending Koran school in Waberi district and were convinced to be warriors for Al Shabab rebels against the government forces and the backing Amisom troops in the capital of Somalia, Mogadishu.
“The Al Shabab always tells the teachers to bring their charges to be trained and also they convince their wrong ideas to the children”, Meyre said.
The district commissioner also revealed that many parents now suspect the schools to be turned into places where the rebels recruit the children.
One of the defected children whose name was not possible to broadcast told the reporters that he took part in fierce battle siding Al Shabab fighters with his AK-47 riffle, but he decided to go away. “… and I did I surrendered to the government”. He said in a low voice.
Since February when fierce clashes between the government forces and Al Shabab rebels took place in the capital, The Al Qaeda-linked militant group of Al Shabab increased recruiting new ‘holy warriors’ mostly under age children in Somalia with small cash bonuses.
RBC Radio learns Al Shabab officials visit Koran schools and IDP camps telling the children to come and join the fighting. Children are, instead paid mobile phones and some small amount of money.
A Somali human rights group estimated that thousands of child soldiers are used by both the government and Al Shabab in the fighting in Mogadishu.