Nairobi β Ugandan soldiers in the Central African Republic have sexually exploited or abused at least 13 women and girls since , including at least one rape, and threatened some victims to remain silent, Human Rights Watch said today.
Human Rights Watch interviewed a total of 13 women and 3 girls in early , who described exploitation or abuse since by Ugandan soldiers in the southeastern town of Obo, where Ugandan forces were based, and heard credible accounts of other cases. Two of the women were girls when the exploitation or abuse took place.
Two women and one girl said that soldiers threatened reprisals if they told Ugandan and United Nations investigators about the abuse. Fifteen of the women and girls interviewed said they became pregnant, but in each case the soldier who fathered the child left the country and has not provided any support. The 16 cases documented by Human Rights Watch clearly under-represent the full extent of sexual exploitation and abuse by the Ugandan forces, not only because sexual violence is generally underreported, but also because others, including the UN and local health workers, have documented other cases, Human Rights Watch said.
In the Central African Republic, women and girls often do not report sexual violence or exploitation due to shame, stigma, or fear of retaliation.
In , the UN Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights reported 14 cases of rape by Ugandan forces in the country, including cases involving victims who were children at the time. Four of these cases are among those Human Rights Watch documented. According to an internal UN report from obtained by Human Rights Watch, UN investigators in Obo registered 18 cases of sexual violence or harassment by Ugandan soldiers against women and girls who were afraid to give details out of fear of reprisals.
