A young child was brutally raped by Somali government troops in the town of Janaale according to regional officials. The victim whose not been named due to confidentiality purposes is said to be only 13 years old.
Hassan Moalim, a former regional official and ex mayor of Marka in the Lower Shabelle province gave an interview to Radio Kulmiye shedding light on the tragic incident. According to Hassan Moalim, the government troops abducted the girl in Janaale, than brutally raped her.
After the terrifying ordeal the young girl was left for dead and badly bleeding. In a similar incident the former regional official revealed a pregnant women was forcefully removed from a car at a checkpoint by three government soldiers and repeatedly raped in the vicinity of Janaale.
The town of Janaale where these latest strings of rape occurred has been a flash point for violence in recent weeks. The bulk of the violence is a result of Somali government troops and allied foreign forces battling Al Shabaab for control of the strategic town. Residents that managed to survive spoke of indiscriminate shelling and air strikes carried out by Foreign forces.
In spite of the violence perpetrated by various actors in the conflict, the Somali government is yet to address these grievances of the local population. The most disturbing part is that a large number of these atrocities are being carried out by Government troops.
Somali government troops and allied militias routinely carry out human rights abuses and horrific acts of sexual violence. However, rarely are government troops held accountable for the crimes they commit, particularly those against women and children despite the SNA being funded by the international community.
Halgan Media Service Desk
Contact us : info@halganmedia.net
