STORY: Somalias federal states mark International Day of

the African Child

DURATION: 3:44
SOURCE: AMISOM PUBLIC INFORMATION
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LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/SOMALI NATURAL SOUND
DATELINE: 19/JUNE/2017, KISMAYO, BAIDOA SOMALIA

SHOT LIST
1. Wide shot, group of children gathered in a hall to celebrate Day of the African
child in Kismayo
2. Med shot, Abilu Earnest Martin, Head of AMISOM Police in Jubbaland
engaging the children who attended the function
3. Close up shot, young girl applauding and smiling
4. Wide shot, group of children seated in the hall applauding
5. Med shot, group of children seated in the hall applauding
6. SOUNDBITE: (ENGLISH) ABILU EARNEST MARTIN, HEAD OF AMISOM POLICE
IN JUBBALAND
Today we commemorate the day of the African child. African children in
conflict areas are subjected to all forms of abuses like being recruited as child
soldiers, subjected to combat activities like spying and used as wives of
combatants. They are deployed to do all sorts of mayhem against the
community.

7. Wide shot, AMISOM Police officials engaging the children

8. Med shot, AMISOM Police officials waving at the children
9. Med shot, children looking on
10. SOUNDBITE: (ENGLISH) ABILU EARNEST MARTIN, HEAD OF AMISOM POLICE
IN JUBBALAND
As AMISOM, we call upon the government and the international community
to support children in conflict. Give them free education and capacitate them
to pursue their careers. We would like to see children become engineers,
doctors and teachers tomorrow. Most of these children are vulnerable
because of the war. They need support; they need laws which empower
them. They need health care. The girl child is the most abused and should be
supported in education, in health and in pursuit of career.

DAY OF THE AFRICAN CHILD CELEBRATIONS IN BAIDOA

11. Wide shot, panning shot from banner to a group of children seated
12. Med shot, group of children seated watching and listening
 13. Wide shot, Members of the regional parliament watching
14. Med shot, members from the local administration watching and laughing
15. Wide shot, group of children watching, laughing and applauding
16. Meds shot, group of children watching and listening
17. SOUNDBITE: (SOMALI) JEYLANI SHEIKH MOHAMED, SOUTH WEST STATE
MINISTER OF LABOUR AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS
As a ministry, we dont allow the employment of children. For instance in
2016 we visited Qansahdheere town on a mission to recruit security forces
and declined to recruit young children between 13-15 years who had showed
up to be recruited. We instead decided to provide them with special care.

18. Med shot, South West state Minister of labour and Kassim Mogow Abdalla, a
Member of Parliament in the South West Parliament listening
19. Med shot, Kassim Mogow Abdalla, Member of Parliament in the South West
Parliament listening
20. Wide shot, group of children listening
21. Med shot, group of children listening
22. SOUNDBITE: (SOMALI) KASSIM MOGOW ABDALLA, MEMBER OF
PARLIAMENT IN THE SOUTH WEST PARLIAMENT
Children face a lot of problems, not only in Somalia and not only in South
West. They are suffering in different places in the world. They are being
recruited by Al-Shabaab militants and the government is to some extent is
also guilty. Sometimes you see unacceptable abuses against children, for
example, a child controlling traffic at a checkpoint but you cannot do
anything, which is part of the problem. We should end these violations as
soon as possible by applying relevant laws.

END

Somalias federal states mark International Day of the African Child

Kismayo, Baidoa, 19 June 2017 - The regional states of Jubbaland and South West
commemorated the Day of the African Child with a pledge to end all forms of child
abuse.

The pledge was made on Saturday by local leaders in the administrative capitals of
Kismayo and Baidoa.

Speaking in Baidoa, South West State Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, Jeylani
Sheikh Mohamed, said the regional government is opposed to child labour, adding
that the local administration will do everything within its powers to solve the
problem.

As a ministry, we dont allow the employment of children. For instance in 2016 we

visited Qansahdheere town on a mission to recruit security forces and declined to
recruit young children between 13-15 years who had turned up to be recruited. We
instead decided to provide them with special care, the Minister explained.

He noted that the leadership of South West state is committed to providing

education to children to help fight ignorance, poverty and exploitation by militant
groups.

Kassim Mogow Abdalla, a Member of Parliament in the South West Regional

Assembly, accused Al-Shabaab militants of conducting massive recruitment of child
soldiers, ignoring international laws on the rights of the child. Mr. Abdalla urged the
government to formulate tough labour laws to curb the crime.

Children face a lot of problems, not only in Somalia and not only in South West.
They are suffering in different places in the world. They are being recruited by Al-
Shabaab militants and the government is to some extent also guilty. This is because
sometimes you see unacceptable abuses against children, for example, a child
controlling traffic at a checkpoint but you cannot do anything, which is part of the
problem. We should end these violations as soon as possible by applying relevant
laws, he noted.

In Kismayo, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Martin Ernest Abilu, the Head of
AMISOM Police in Jubbaland, accused Al-Shabaab of taking advantage of children by
recruiting them to commit acts of terror.

Today we commemorate the day of the African child. African children in conflict
areas are subjected to all forms of abuses like being recruited as child soldiers and
subjected to combat activities like spying and used as wives of combatants. They are
deployed to do all sorts of mayhem against the community, ACP. Abilu stated.

He called on the federal government of Somalia and international community to

provide free education to children in Somalia, to protect them from being exploited
by armed groups.

As AMISOM, we call upon the government and the international community to

support children in conflict. Give them free education and capacitate them to pursue
their careers. We would like to see children become engineers, doctors and teachers
tomorrow. Most of these children are vulnerable because of the war, ACP Abilu
noted.

The celebrations were attended by representatives of the local administrations,

members of regional assemblies, African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM)
officials, the civil society, clan elders and children among others.

The Day of the African Child is celebrated on June 16 every year. It was first initiated
1991 by the Organization of African Unity (OAU), now African Union. Ends