- Title: SOMALIA: Video games replace war for young Somalis.
- Date: 9th July 2012
- Summary: VARIOUS OF CHILDREN PLAYING VIDEO GAMES AT HOME
- Embargoed: 24th July 2012 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Somalia
- Country: Somalia
- Topics: People
- Reuters ID: LVA9L8YI4XH8ZIEMZ6M5N5A7JTF3
- Story Text: Concentration is key for these Somali boys playing video games at a shop in Mogadishu. They tightly grip their controllers and stare intently at small screens as they try to perfect their gaming skills.
Its the latest craze in the Somali capital and is catching on fast after previously being banned by Somalia's hardline Islamist group al Shabaab.
The insurgent group sought to impose a strict form of sharia Islamic law throughout Somalia and in 2009 banned video games along with movies, musical ringtones, dancing at wedding ceremonies, and playing or watching soccer.
However, after the rebels were squeezed out of some areas by African Union and Somali troops last August, various forms of entertainment are being revived.
Teenagers like Mohamed Abdi now enjoy PlayStation and Nintendo among other games which some parents say have helped keep their children off the streets and reduced chances of them being recruited to war.
"We do not have anything to do so we play video games, rather than joining the militia, we prefer to come to the video game shop," said Abdi.
Last year Amnesty International blamed both government forces and Islamist groups for recruiting child soldiers, a practice that increased after fighting escalated in 2006.
For the past two decades, Somalia has been engulfed in deadly chaos and conflict, and the country remains one of the world's toughest places to be a child.
Many video game shop owners say they are not only providing entertainment but also keeping young minds busy.
"After I returned to my neighbourhood I realised that there is a need for video games here so that young boys can enjoy themselves. I open the shop from 7:00am to 10:00pm," said Mohamed Hasan Mohamed, who runs video game shops in Mogadishu.
But while the games keep kids busy, some teachers complain they are also a distraction, as some students skip school to spend the day at game shops.
"My hobby is playing video games. I spend my mornings and afternoons here. I also get my friends to come along and play with me," said Abdishakur Abdullah Ali, a Mogadishu resident.
The tangible security gains mean that construction sites and businesses are mushrooming across the coastal city, cafes are opening, and markets stay open longer into the evening.
Among these are electronic shops selling a variety of imported games including personal consoles as some parents prefer to have their children play at home.
Aid agencies say that in addition to being targeted for recruitment as fighters, many Somali children have seen parents and friends deliberately killed or tortured.
They have also been flogged by al Shabaab for not praying on time or, in the case of some girls, for not wearing the hijab headscarf or the abaya gown. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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