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Rescued Somali children, abducted by Al-Shabaab for military training, are now being reunited with their families.
Four Somali children, who were kidnapped by the militant group Al-Shabaab and forced into training to become child soldiers, have been rescued by security forces in Baidoa, Somalia. This rescue was confirmed by authorities in South West State on February 17, 2025. The government is now working to bring the children back to their families.
The children, all under the age of 18, were taken from different places in Somalia. They were then transported to Buush-Madiino, a town in the Bay region that is controlled by Al-Shabaab. It is here that they were supposed to receive military training to become fighters for the group. Al-Shabaab often targets children for this purpose, taking them from schools and communities to train them for their violent activities.
One of the children told the media that he was taken from his hometown of Rabdhuure before being transferred to Buush-Madiino. Other children shared that they were abducted while walking to school and were held in a forest area controlled by Al-Shabaab militants. They were held there for several days, separated from their families, and trained for combat. Al-Shabaab’s goal is to turn these children into soldiers and make them fight in their ongoing war against the Somali government.
Despite their captivity, the children managed to escape. After spending days in harsh conditions, they decided to flee. They walked for two days through the wilderness, risking everything to get to a safer area. Finally, they reached parts of Somalia that are controlled by the government, where security forces found them and took them to Baidoa, a major city in the region. The children were then presented to the media as part of the rescue announcement.
South West State officials, including President Abdiaziz Laftagareen, have expressed a strong desire to reunite the children with their families. They have also asked for the children to be pardoned and treated with compassion, since they were victims of abduction and forced recruitment. Their focus is now on helping these children return to their normal lives and providing them with the support they need to heal from their traumatic experiences.
Al-Shabaab, which is linked to al-Qaida, has been fighting the Somali government for over a decade. The group has a long history of kidnapping children from schools and communities, using them as soldiers, messengers, and laborers. The Somali government, with the help of its allies, continues to work to stop the recruitment of child soldiers, rescue those who have been abducted, and bring them back to their families and communities.