Hundreds of Women and Girls flee Samburu on Christmas Eve as Another Police Security Operation is Launched
Posted on December 25, 2009 with 4 Comments
Hundreds of women and young girls have fled Isiolo and Samburu districts ahead of a police operation because they fear they would be raped. The women are moving to towns outside the operation zone such as Meru, Naro Moru and even Nairobi. Ms Lesingiran, a mother of two, has seen it all before during last year’s operation to recover alleged ’stolen’ livestock. This time around, she says, no one can convince her that it will be any different.
“If looking for cattle that can’t be hidden in huts resulted in beatings and rapes, how can the operation to recover guns which can be hidden in huts be any different? It could even be worse,” lamented Ms Lesingiran, a resident of Archer’s Post.
Apprehension is now building among locals over the manner in which the operation will be executed, with local leaders urging the government to carry out the exercise peacefully. The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights have established a crisis centre where victims can file reports of human rights abuses. Human Rights officials stated in a press release in Isiolo that they had urged the government to conduct the operation without torturing civilians and sexually abusing women and girls.
“We support the disarmament exercise if it will bolster peace in the region, but it should not violate human rights,” the statement read.
Category: News Updates
