Human Rights Issue: Child Soldiers in Somalia (Essay Sample)

Human Rights Issue: Child Soldiers in Somalia
Following the American Psychological Guidelines
Name
Institution
A Review of Human Rights Issue.
Child Soldiers in Somalia
Concern is drawn to the high numbers of children below the ages of eighteen that have mysteriously disappeared in Somalia and neighboring states since the year 2007. This is observed to be the case indiscriminatingly for both boys and girls, who are proven to have been kidnapped by the Al-Shabaab insurgents who invaded the horn of Africa nation in late 2007. The insurgent armed militia group has often resorted to children as an easy and cheap source of fighters to help them against the various groups they regard as enemies by supplementing its military personnel and ranks. These children are forced into paramilitary camps to undergo combat training. In some of the cases, they are put through given Al-Shabaab taught doctrines such as the Dugsi and Madrasas both of which the Quran is the principle teaching resource. In the face of immense combat and poverty in these regions, the children who ought to be in schools and in some cases vocational training remain kept out the institutions thereby becoming an easy target for the militia gangs.
Al-Shabaab also are tactically friendly in their recruiting of child soldiers. They use methods that attract children such as offering special prizes to those who successfully complete their Quran studies. To be enticed into suicide bombing videos that portray the promise of paradise for those who die in combat with the enemy are played to support their teachings and interpretation of jihad in relation to suicide bombing. This is seen as giving them a big resource in individuals who put themselves on line as candidates of suicide bombing missions. Another vital aspects employed by al-Shabaab is on capturing a town, they tend to blind the citizens by improving the service delivery in the town by bettering the health care, business amenities and schools. The factor that remains key is the removal of all teachers previously commissioned to these schools by the government and their replacement by al-Shabaab instructors. This transforms the entire syllabus to jihad oriented teachings and al-Shabaab oriented ideologies majorly rooted on fighting others who they consider infidels, the children are encouraged to be Mujahedeen, they name for religious soldiers out to enforce and defend their ideologies on the infidels.
This scenario has led to a big harm to the children and enormous lose to the region whose future solely relies on the wellbeing of these children. Such cases as loss of young lives to enemy fire are witnessed daily. Some of the children soldiers are left with enormous damages and injuries, some permanently disabled and even maimed. At such conditions regarded as of no military addition to the al-Shabaab ranks, they are left to struggle and fend for their individual survival. Such cases go against the global principles that safeguard humanity. Further taking their activities past the Somalia boarder leaves the entire region dangerous. Case of children abduction and subsequent recruitment into as-Shabaab have been witnessed as far as the Kenyan coastal town of Mombasa and the north eastern regions bordering Somalia.
There have been numerous measures taken by the United States of America, The African Union, The Kenyan government and the united nation to reduce the al-Shabaab threat and promote peace and wellbeing in the region and enhance political and religious stability in Somalis. The Federal Government under the Obama administration has up scaled its crusade in contradiction of the al-Qaeda associate in Somalia by heightening the figure of its commissioned forces in the war-ravaged nation, intensifying drone tasks and reinforcement of military affiliations all over the horn of Africa expanse.
The African Union in partnership with the United Nations in response to the growing concern over the humans rights inconsideration and unlawfulness in the country did put together a military operation to weed out the insurgent. This involves military personnel brought together from varied member states under one name African Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). This has helped free a big number of the captured child soldiers and further uproot the al-Shabaab influence and stamps in the country....