At least 126 former members of Al Shabaab graduated from Baidoa Rehabilitation Center in Somalia after completing an intensive rehabilitation program. The center located in Somali’s South West State takes defected al Shabaab militants under the Amnesty program offered by the Somali government, offers a comprehensive program to deradicalize, rehabilitate and prepare the former terrorists to reintegrate into the society.
The program graduates, comprising youths from various parts of the country, received vocational training and psychological support from the center. Additionally, the ex-combatants were offered training in vocational skillsmanship like electricity, masonry, tailoring as well as welding.
The training and reintegration of former combatants is an integral part of Somalia’s National program for the treatment and handling of disengaged combatants in Somalia, led by the Office of the Defectors Rehabilitation Program, under the federal Ministry of Internal Security.
Rehabilitation and reintegration of former terrorists in the conflict-ridden region have continuously proven more fruitful in the prevention of resurgence of violent groups than most counter-insurgency strategies. Particularly, in Somalia, a huge percentage of al Shabaab fighters are either duped or coerced into fighting and as such the huge number of defectors who require support to reintegrate into the society.
