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Charges urged for Kenya 'torture' | Charges urged for Kenya 'torture' |
(about 5 hours later) | |
Kenya's defence minister and army chiefs should face prosecution over the alleged torture of civilians, the state-funded human rights body says. | Kenya's defence minister and army chiefs should face prosecution over the alleged torture of civilians, the state-funded human rights body says. |
The Kenya National Commission for Human Rights (KNCHR) says medical reports back up complaints of torture. | The Kenya National Commission for Human Rights (KNCHR) says medical reports back up complaints of torture. |
The military was deployed to the Mt Elgon area in March, in a crackdown on the Sabaot Land Defence Force (SLDF). | The military was deployed to the Mt Elgon area in March, in a crackdown on the Sabaot Land Defence Force (SLDF). |
The government denied the allegations, in turn accusing the militia of committing atrocities. | The government denied the allegations, in turn accusing the militia of committing atrocities. |
The SLDF says it is fighting for ancestral land belonging to the Sabaot community but has been accused of killing members of rival ethnic groups. | The SLDF says it is fighting for ancestral land belonging to the Sabaot community but has been accused of killing members of rival ethnic groups. |
'Accountable' | 'Accountable' |
The KNCHR said the minister, Mohammed Yusuf Haji, and army commanders should be held accountable for human rights violations. | |
"It is important that the government is held accountable where acts of gross violations including torture, murder etc are conducted, that people at the top are accountable in a certain way," KNCHR commissioner Omar Hassan Omar told the BBC's Network Africa programme. | "It is important that the government is held accountable where acts of gross violations including torture, murder etc are conducted, that people at the top are accountable in a certain way," KNCHR commissioner Omar Hassan Omar told the BBC's Network Africa programme. |
He said they had spoken to residents of Mt Elgon who claimed to have been taken to military camps and subjected to degrading and inhumane forms of torture. | He said they had spoken to residents of Mt Elgon who claimed to have been taken to military camps and subjected to degrading and inhumane forms of torture. |
"We tied it up with medical reports which confirmed that patterns of torture did take place," Mr Omar said. | "We tied it up with medical reports which confirmed that patterns of torture did take place," Mr Omar said. |
KNCHR also called for the prosecution of the Sabaot militia, whose members have been accused of murder and other human rights violations. | KNCHR also called for the prosecution of the Sabaot militia, whose members have been accused of murder and other human rights violations. |
Government spokesman Alfred Mutua said the SLDF was guilty of human rights violations. | Government spokesman Alfred Mutua said the SLDF was guilty of human rights violations. |
"This criminal group had been carrying out brutal crimes against humanity and endangering lives," he said. | "This criminal group had been carrying out brutal crimes against humanity and endangering lives," he said. |
The statement said the militia were guilty of mutilation, torture, sexual crimes and recruitment of child soldiers. | The statement said the militia were guilty of mutilation, torture, sexual crimes and recruitment of child soldiers. |
But Mr Omar said the brutality of the militia could not excuse the actions of the Kenyan army. | But Mr Omar said the brutality of the militia could not excuse the actions of the Kenyan army. |
"The government is not a militia, it has different standards. It is a conventional army, and a conventional army is held to higher standards of accountability," he said. | "The government is not a militia, it has different standards. It is a conventional army, and a conventional army is held to higher standards of accountability," he said. |
The rights body also urged the UN to withdraw Kenyan troops from its peacekeeping missions. | The rights body also urged the UN to withdraw Kenyan troops from its peacekeeping missions. |
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