Kenya army accused of killings, torture

Kenyan troops are killing and torturing civilians in a remote conflict against rebels that has worsened sharply this year and…

Kenyan troops are killing and torturing civilians in a remote conflict against rebels that has worsened sharply this year and has barely been noticed by the outside world, a medical charity said today.

Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said an offensive against a militia in the remote Mount Elgon region that began in March had caused a steep rise in violence against civilians already traumatised by months of fighting.

"In particular, indiscriminate violence is being used against local men, including systematic torture and extra-judicial killings, which has reinforced their fear and terror," it said in a report.

"MSF's medical teams in Mount Elgon have witnessed and treated the injuries."

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Local activists have also accused soldiers of torturing thousands of people as they hunt the illegal Sabaot Defence Land Force (SDLF) in caves, forests and hamlets across the long-troubled area bordering Uganda.

The security forces have denied any wrongdoing. Last week, the defence minister and top military officials met a parliamentary committee to answer the allegations in private.

The violence predates the turmoil that followed December's disputed election, but shares many of its root causes - land disputes, ethnic rivalries and the neglect of outlying areas.

About 600 people have died and 60,000 have been displaced since the SDLF took up arms in mid-2006 to fight for territory it says was stolen from the local Soy community.

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