The crack of gunfire is a sound Ahmed Mohamed knows too well. Forced at age 12 into the ranks of Al-Shabaab, he spent two years learning to kill before escaping. Now 17, he sits in a rehabilitation centre in Mogadishu, haunted by his past.
'It was kill or be killed,' he whispers, hands trembling as he recounts the day his own commander ordered him to execute a captured soldier. 'I was a child. I had no choice.
' His story is not unique. Across Somalia, thousands of children have been conscripted by armed groups since the collapse of the central government in 1991. The UN estimates that 2,000 children were recruited in 2023 alone, a number some say is far higher.
Ahmed’s escape came in the chaos of a battle near Kismayo. 'I just ran. I didn’t stop until I reached a government checkpoint.
' He was turned over to the Mercy for Children centre, one of a handful trying to break the cycle of violence. But resources are scarce. 'We have 60 beds for hundreds of children,' says director Fatima Ali.
'Many end up back on the streets, vulnerable to re-recruitment.' The Somali government, backed by African Union troops, has made some gains against Al-Shabaab in recent months. But the root causes of instability persist: poverty, clan rivalries, and a lack of opportunity.
'The government fights with bullets, but we need jobs,' says Ali. 'Without hope, these children will always return to the gun.' Ahmed dreams of becoming a teacher.
'I want to show that former fighters can change,' he says. But with only 30% of children in school, his dream feels fragile. As the sun sets over Mogadishu, another night begins.
The sound of gunfire echoes from distant neighbourhoods. Somalia’s unresolved past continues to claim its children.
