GAROWE (KAAB TV) – A 13 year old girl in the displacement camp in Garowe, the capital of Puntland is the last victim of gang rape attack carried by armed men suspected to be members of Puntland ‘opposition’ army.
Residents at the Jiingada camp in Garowe said they heard the cries past midnight as a group of armed men in military uniform entered the camp and two of them dragged the 13-year old girl.
They eventually raped her.
“All were in government military uniform. They started beating a boy in the camp. His mother was crying and pleaded to leave her son alone. Then they entered the other house and dragged the young girl,” said one woman in the camp.
#Somalia: a 13-year old girl in a displacement camp in Garowe, the capital of #Puntland is the last victim of gang rape attack carried by armed men suspected to be members of Puntland opposition army.
Residents at the Jiingada camp in Garowe said they heard the cries during past… pic.twitter.com/ECG0b0ex5k
— Kaab Somali TV (@KaabTV) February 18, 2024
Police were called but the phone was not responded, the residents said.
The victim has been transported to Garowe Hospital, where medical professionals are currently providing her with care and attention.
IDP camps are often situated in the outskirts of cities, leaving their residents vulnerable and without adequate protection.
Incidents of violence against women, particularly those within vulnerable communities such as IDPs, frequently go uninvestigated.
The camp residents are now calling for help from the government of Puntland as they say the men were in uniform. They also want the government to provide security to the IDP camp.
Police and authorities in Garowe have not yet commented on the matter.