Human Rights and Security in Somalia

Callista Wilson
Mr. Roddy
Global Politics and Historical Contexts
21 February 2019


Human Rights In Somalia
Since 1991, Somalia has experienced a strong lack of security and human rights. This has occurred because a large variety of militant groups have managed to remain in control, and the power of the Somali government has been weakened. Currently, the terrorist group Al-Shabab has control over the majority of southern Somalia, and the Somali National Army (SNA) has been continuously pushed back towards the coastal capital of Mogadishu. This civil war has lead to the direct violation of human rights, as thousands of children are being recruited by both sides to fight on the front lines of the conflict. For example, members of Al-Shabab have raided villages and have taken control of community water supplies. For this reason, people have been left with no choice but to remain loyal to the Al-Shabab’s command. Additionally, schools in rural areas of Somalia have been raided, and children as young as age eight have been abducted to fight. 
Although Al-Shabab has recruited more child soldiers, the SNA had also recruited children, and is currently working with the United Nations to return many of them back to their families. In addition to the dangers of living in rural areas, the security of people living in urban areas, such as the capital, are not safe either because citizens have become the targets of terror driven attacks. For example, in 2017 a truck carrying many bombs drove into the capital city and killed around four hundred people. Shockingly, neither Al-Shabab nor the SNA claimed to be responsible for this. Another effect of the civil war has been resource scarcity, which had caused many people and children to die of starvation. Also, countries such as Egypt and The United States, who had previously provided aid, have stopped sending supplies because they fear that most of these resources have reached Al-Shabab through the black markets.
In order for Somalia to work towards human rights and security, they should start by having more troops sent towards rural villages to protect children from being captured. Also, they should prioritize protecting and keeping track of the aid which they recieve, so that other countries will be more willing to help. Lastly, it is important that surrounding African and European countries are willing to accept Somali people as refugees. Untill, any of this is accomplished, the security and human rights of people in Somalia will continue to be limited.         
Al Jazeera. “Guterres: Thousands of Child Soldiers Fight in Somalia.” GCC News | 20 Jan.
2017,www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/01/guterres-thousands-child-soldiers-fight-somalia- 170120063747893.html.   

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