Kenya Accused of Failing to Protect Somali Women Refugees From Rape
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NAIROBI, Kenya — A human rights group has accused Kenya of failing to protect Somali women refugees from rape.
The government has shown “an appalling lack of concern for the plight of Somali refugees,” the New York-based Africa Watch said in a report released Sunday.
Victims of rape and sexual assault in and around Kenya’s refugee camps ranged from 4-year-old girls to 50-year-old women, the report said. Most victims were also robbed, beaten, knifed or shot, it said.
Refugees have been attacked by Kenyan bandits and Somali raiders from across the poorly guarded border, the report said. Some women have reported being raped by Kenyan police or military personnel.
The report said 192 refugee women reported being raped in the first seven months of this year.
The Kenyan government has said it does not sanction rape and blames the assaults on criminals who get firearms in Somalia.
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