UNICEF has expressed regret the execution of four young people in the Somali state of Puntland this past weekend for offences committed as children when they were under the age of 18, while they were allegedly associated with Al Shabaab.
The convictions and sentences were issued by military courts, which lack specialized child justice procedures and are no place for children.
UNICEF recalls that the Puntland Age Verification Committee including representatives from Puntland authorities met with the young people and concluded that they were minors at the time of arrest and that they should not face the death penalty.
UNICEF requests the Puntland authorities to prevent the imposition of death sentences and calls for the due process to be ensured for all young adults arrested for their association with armed groups when they were below the age of 18 years, in line with the Juvenile Law, endorsed by the Puntland authorities and the government’s obligation to international human rights obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
UNICEF urges the Puntland authorities to treat children associated with armed groups as victims and calls for a review of current judicial procedures to ensure that children are not tried by military courts, have access to appropriate judicial procedures, and are in line with definitions of a child contained in the Puntland Juvenile Justice Act and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Somalia has ratified.
The authorities are urged to take advantage of pathways for reintegrating children associated with armed groups, which already exist and have proven to be effective in upholding the rights of the child. As UN partners, we stand ready to work with the government to further implement these processes, including through the implementation of relevant government action plans to strengthen the protection of children in armed conflict.
