Nipate
Forum => Kenya Discussion => Topic started by: Omollo on June 27, 2015, 01:23:18 PM
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Once a army gets the people against it, defeat comes knocking. This mission is completely compromised. The UN can take over and inject in Non African troops or the US should back one of the warring parties and impose a government. If I had a say, I would use Somaliland to expand Southwards.
I decided to dig up more when I noticed the dearth of information on this subject. Al Shabaab claims to have killed 60 Burundians. The AU is quiet or downplaying the casualty figure.
Western-backed African Union troops in Somalia gang-raped women and girls as young as 12 and traded food aid for sex, Human Rights Watch has said.
An investigation uncovered evidence of sexual exploitation of women seeking medicine for sick babies at what they assumed was the safety of AU military bases.
The 22,000-strong AU force in Somalia, known as Amisom, with soldiers drawn from six countries, has been fighting alongside Somali government troops against the Islamist militant group al-Shabaab since 2007. Its donors include the UK, US, European Union and United Nations.
On Monday, Amisom claimed that alleged rapes were isolated incidents and described the report as "unbalanced and unfair".
Human Rights Watch's 71-page report, The Power These Men Have Over Us, documents cases involving troops from Burundi and Uganda. Amisom also draws military personnel from Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Sierra Leone.
The vulnerable women largely came from camps in the capital, Mogadishu, having fled rural Somalia during a famine in 2011. The youngest girl interviewed was 12 and said she had been raped by a Ugandan soldier.
The mother of one girl who was allegedly raped told the group that she was deeply traumatised. "People laugh at her whenever she comes out," the mother said. "They say: 'An infidel raped her.' How can you feel if your daughter asks you: 'Mother, I better die to hide my shameful face from the people?'"
The report, based on testimonies of 21 women and girls, says: "Some of the women who were raped said that the soldiers gave them food or money afterwards in an apparent attempt to frame the assault as transactional sex."
In May 2013, for example, Kassa D was introduced to a Somali interpreter at Amisom's base camp. "I was worried," she said. "I wanted to run but I knew that the same thing that brought me here would get me through this – my hunger. I had made a choice and I couldn't turn back now." After she had sex with a Ugandan soldier, the interpreter paid her $10 (£6).
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The AU soldiers, "relying on Somali intermediaries, have used a range of tactics, including humanitarian aid, to coerce vulnerable women and girls into sexual activity," the report continues. "They have also raped or otherwise sexually assaulted, women who were seeking medical assistance or water at Amisom bases."
Women reported contracting sexually transmitted infections, mainly gonorrhoea, after the assaults, and said soldiers refused to wear condoms. "Several also described being slapped and beaten by the soldiers with whom they had sex," the report adds.
In only two cases had women who spoke to the watchdog filed police complaints. Most had not because they "feared stigma, reprisals from family, police and al-Shabaab", the report says.
Somalia is struggling to recover from two decades of conflict and anarchy. Last month, Amisom troops launched an offensive aimed at seizing key ports and cutting off an important source of revenue for al-Shabaab, which has sworn allegiance to al-Qaida. Last week al-Shabaab's leader, Ahmed Abdi Godane, was killed by a US air strike.
On Monday, at least 12 people were killed and dozens injured in a suicide car bomb attack on Amison troops. Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the ambush.
Human Rights Watch said it conducted the research for its report on Amisom in Somalia, Uganda and Burundi. It also interviewed more than 30 witnesses, foreign observers, military personnel and officials from troop-contributing countries.
It said: "The findings raise serious concerns about abuses by Amisom soldiers against Somali women and girls that suggest a much larger problem." It called on the AU and Amisom to foster a culture of zero tolerance towards illegal activities on their bases and set up or strengthen disciplinary units and an independent investigative body.
Daniel Bekele, Africa head at Human Rights Watch, said: "The AU military and political leadership needs to do more to prevent, identify, and punish sexual abuse by their troops. As another food crisis looms in Mogadishu's displacement camps, women and girls are once again desperate for food and medicine. They should not have to sell their bodies for their families to survive."
Amisom's commander, Gen Silas Ntigurirwa from Burundi, told Agence France-Presse that the report documented "allegations of isolated cases of rape", and insisted that his soldiers were given strict orders against raping and looting.
Amisom spokesman Eloi Yao said the "allegations will be properly investigated and measures taken".
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Brutality breeds more brutality. KDF displays dead Al Shabaab fighters. Now Al Shabaab has picked up the lesson with alacrity! One would expect KDF to be the grown up and eschew such primitivity.
After taking over a military base of the African Union (AU) peacekeeping force early on Friday, Al Shabaab reportedly put up corpses of dozens of soldiers on display.
The attack began at dawn after Al Shabaab rammed an explosive-laden car into the base located south of Mogadishu. The local Leego residents, who had assembled for the early morning prayers at the mosque for Ramadan, claimed to have heard heavy explosion followed by gunfire.
The fighting reportedly went on for over three hours, and there is still no exact figure on the number of casualities. The peacekeeping force, known as African Union Mission In Somalia (Amisom), is made up of army units from Kenya, Uganda and Burundi.
"A car bomb rammed into the AU base in Leego and this was followed by heavy exchange of gunfire," Major Nur Olow, a military officer, told Reuters. "First, AU forces opened fire at the speeding car bomb. The car forced its way in."
Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, a spokesman for the al Qaeda-aligned group, claimed that they have killed 35 soldiers.
Somali journalist Mohammed Abdi, citing local residents, said on Twitter that the bodies of dozens of peacekeeping soldiers were put on display, after Al Shabaab militants hoisted its flag at the Amisom base.
Security forces in Somalia have already been on a high alert, especially as the militant group often steps up its attacks during Ramadan.
On 24 June, Al Shabaab had attempted a suicide attack targeting the UAE ambassador to Somalia. Though the diplomat survived the attack, at least 11 soldiers and civilians were killed.
On 21 June, an Al Shabaab suicide bomber had rammed an explosive-laden car into the Somali intelligence office building, while armed attackers exchanged heavy gunfire with security personnel in a failed attempt to enter the high security zone.
http://www.ibtimes.co.in/somalia-al-shabaab-captures-au-base-puts-corpses-soldiers-display-leego-637178
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(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CIfp0hdWwAAzGe-.jpg:large)
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Brutality breeds more brutality. KDF displays dead Al Shabaab fighters. Now Al Shabaab has picked up the lesson with alacrity! One would expect KDF to be the grown up and eschew such primitivity.
After taking over a military base of the African Union (AU) peacekeeping force early on Friday, Al Shabaab reportedly put up corpses of dozens of soldiers on display.
The attack began at dawn after Al Shabaab rammed an explosive-laden car into the base located south of Mogadishu. The local Leego residents, who had assembled for the early morning prayers at the mosque for Ramadan, claimed to have heard heavy explosion followed by gunfire.
The fighting reportedly went on for over three hours, and there is still no exact figure on the number of casualities. The peacekeeping force, known as African Union Mission In Somalia (Amisom), is made up of army units from Kenya, Uganda and Burundi.
"A car bomb rammed into the AU base in Leego and this was followed by heavy exchange of gunfire," Major Nur Olow, a military officer, told Reuters. "First, AU forces opened fire at the speeding car bomb. The car forced its way in."
Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, a spokesman for the al Qaeda-aligned group, claimed that they have killed 35 soldiers.
Somali journalist Mohammed Abdi, citing local residents, said on Twitter that the bodies of dozens of peacekeeping soldiers were put on display, after Al Shabaab militants hoisted its flag at the Amisom base.
Security forces in Somalia have already been on a high alert, especially as the militant group often steps up its attacks during Ramadan.
On 24 June, Al Shabaab had attempted a suicide attack targeting the UAE ambassador to Somalia. Though the diplomat survived the attack, at least 11 soldiers and civilians were killed.
On 21 June, an Al Shabaab suicide bomber had rammed an explosive-laden car into the Somali intelligence office building, while armed attackers exchanged heavy gunfire with security personnel in a failed attempt to enter the high security zone.
http://www.ibtimes.co.in/somalia-al-shabaab-captures-au-base-puts-corpses-soldiers-display-leego-637178 (http://www.ibtimes.co.in/somalia-al-shabaab-captures-au-base-puts-corpses-soldiers-display-leego-637178)
Al Shabaab has always displayed corpses. In 2011 they slaughtered the same Burundians in Mogadishu and laid out their corpses like omena. That is one reason I can believe they have pretty much lost every engagement they have had with KDF.
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Al Shabaab has always displayed corpses. In 2011 they slaughtered the same Burundians in Mogadishu and laid out their corpses like omena. That is one reason I can believe they have pretty much lost every engagement they have had with KDF.
The question is: Should KDF be doing the same? Would you bite the leg of the dog that just bit you in revenge?
This is back to what we spoke of recently with Pundit: When will Kenya see Al Shabaab for the chokora it is and weigh her options? Al Shabaab need only blow one bomb in Mombasa and the advisories come back on in the wake of evacuations. Thus their capacity to wreck havoc in Kenya is increasing even as the benefits to the country are nil.
The top military brass as eating money from the budget even as The UN pays for everything! I saw a huge sum included in the budget for the Somali Mission. Yet ALL the costs are supposed to be borne by the AU and its underwriters (The EU etc). The money from the UN never reaches treasury. So we have a situation where corruption will keep us in Somalia.
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Burundi military ia just a militia. No trained army can loose 60 soilders in a single battle. But for a good perspective Somalis have never been dominated. Italians tried then british Then US of A. Read Lt Col Bartlet The KIngs African Rifles for background
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Don't be so fast in condemning Burundi. Look at the Al Shabaab video of the Lamu attack on KDF. If those attackers had followed the Burundi base template (learned from ISIS) and sent a suicide bomber driving a car full of explosives, what could have stopped him? The soldiers at the gate were caught napping. I don't see how that camp could have survived such an attack when a bomb kills sleeping soldiers and the injured are too frail to offer a defense while those who are able can only flee. There is a need to up tactics. The belief that Al Shabaab is a ragtag group of bandits must end.
The casualty of 6 (official still 2) remains too high for an attack that was "repulsed". KDF killed 11 terrorists and lost 6 soldiers (and we are by no means sure of the figure after GOK threatened journalists exposing the details.
PS. The longer a war goes on the better the participants become. The Mujahideen could never take on the Russians in Afghanistan in the first few months. But as time went by they grew bold enough to overrun bases. We saw in 1983 a hitherto obscure militia - Islamic Jihad - make a grand entry to the Order of Terrorists by flattening the American Barracks / military camp with 299 soldier casualties.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1983_Beirut_barracks_bombing
Burundi military ia just a militia. No trained army can loose 60 soilders in a single battle. But for a good perspective Somalis have never been dominated. Italians tried then british Then US of A. Read Lt Col Bartlet The KIngs African Rifles for background
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Omollo,
There is definitely a severe problem of corruption in KDF and security in general. Their hardware is of the lowest quality. Not enough vehicles. I can bet not enough fuel for remaining ones not in use by senior officers.
With Uncle Sam giving military aid, budget in the billions of dollars, a small plane could not be found to land recce in Garissa because there are apparently only two rickety ones.
They are no better equipped than neighboring countries with less than half the budget. Accountability is long overdue. My hunch is all other scandals pale in comparison to what goes on at DOD.
Raping a 12 year old is perverted obviously. Raping a 12 year old who is most likely genitally mutilated defies imagination.
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Termie
They will have to make up their minds. If they want to beat Al Shabaab and end insecurity in the country, they have to stop the corruption. The Brits managed to beat off revolts in their empire when they found that their enemies would account for each and every donation to the last cent and did not misappropriate anything.
I read a story of how Communist rebels fighting with Castro were so scrupulous that they reported if a coin dropped and was lost in the clamour or battle. You know the terrorists who flew planes in the WTC (what Hubris calls controlled demolition) kept strict accounts and posted the change back to Saudi Arabia!
Are you going to fight such people when corrupt? You can only beat them with equal dedication.
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Termie
They will have to make up their minds. If they want to beat Al Shabaab and end insecurity in the country, they have to stop the corruption. The Brits managed to beat off revolts in their empire when they found that their enemies would account for each and every donation to the last cent and did not misappropriate anything.
I read a story of how Communist rebels fighting with Castro were so scrupulous that they reported if a coin dropped and was lost in the clamour or battle. You know the terrorists who flew planes in the WTC (what Hubris calls controlled demolition) kept strict accounts and posted the change back to Saudi Arabia!
Are you going to fight such people when corrupt? You can only beat them with equal dedication.
I have met clones of hubris who believe W himself was on one of the planes and can be seen parachuting off at the last minute.
As for Al Shabaab. It's just too easy to fight an enemy that will sell his mother for a ham sandwich. Corruption is a greater danger than the deranged pro-Al-Shabaab sheiks.
Unfortunately no withdrawal from Somalia is happening. Too much money for matumbo generals.