A British army unit that will specialize in combating sexual violence and using women as suicide bombers is being put together, Britain's Secretary of Defense Gavin Williamson announced on Tuesday.
"It's not just the right thing to do because you want to stop an evil act, but it's also the right thing to do, because it makes places and people more secure," Williamson told the Guardian.
Just days ago, in an attack claimed by al-Shabab, a car bomb exploded and killed three people in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu. As a result, the newly formed army unit will be sent to Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya, where the terrorist group is active. Al-Shabab operates out of Somalia and is the deadliest jihadi group in sub-Saharan Africa.
The unit will include female soldiers who can explain to local forces that while child soldiers might pose a threat, they are often coerced into becoming a part of terrorist plots. The specialized army unit will also assist in educating military peacekeepers on how to deal with local cultural sensitivities, The Guardian reported.
Since 2017, about 8,700 children from armed groups in Africa have been rehabilitated in Nigeria, CNN reported.
"These are little children that aren't joining because of ideology, they're literally being forced by the evil terrorist groups to join up and be part of this conflict,"Williamson said.
In June, three female suicide bombers killed 10 people in a mosque in Niger. If the program is a success, it may be introduced in countries in which another terrorist group, Boko Haram, is active.
"Women will talk to women, and the peacekeepers have been finding a lot more information in Somalia about what is going on in the local community and how organizations such as al-Shabaab are operating," Williamson said.
At least 230 military trainers will be directed by the specialized unit. The hope is that each of those trainers will be able to train 100 peacekeepers.
"It's really important to give those peacekeepers the opportunity to deal with these young people, to understand how best to do that. We can train them to give them education and skills, so hopefully we can maybe give them a childhood back, give them the opportunity to have a normal life," Williamson told The Guardian.
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