Children recruited have been freed from the armed forces and integrated into educational programs – Mogadishu

About 400 children recruited by armed groups in Somalia have been released and reintegrated into society through educational programs and professional training. Thanks to a project that the United Nations Fund launched 15 months ago in this Country of conflict in the Horn of Africa, 110 children have already enrolled in school. Many have been enrolled in professional training programs such as electronic engineering, administration, mechanics or carpentry. UNICEF estimates that currently about 5,000 children and young people can be exploited as fighters, porters or cooks for armed groups in Somalia. In 2012 the Government of Somalia had signed an action plan to end the recruitment and prevent the use of children in armed conflict. (Source: Agenzia Fides 18/09/2015)