The Muslims for Human Rights- MUHURI has called for immediate interventions to end the extra judicial killings and forced disappearances among locals in Tana River County.
The human rights lobby said that the occurrences have instilled fear among families who cannot reveal the where about of their loved ones despite seeking interventions and help from security agents in the County.
MUHURI’s Executive Director Hassan Abdille said that for the last one year 16 locals have disappeared under unclear circumstances, while three more went missing but later resurfaced.
However, the three according to Mr. Abdille couldn’t give an account of what transpired under detention for fear of being executed, though he noted that it is evident they were tortured.
He said that such heartbreaking tales of locals from Tana River County should be investigated and solved.
Abdille said that such occurrences are a gross human rights violation and the government should intervene to end the agony families in Tana River County are going through.
“We recorded a total of 22 people who underwent both physical and psychological torture between last year to July this year, three were killed,” added Mr. Abdille.
He said that no official statement from the government or security agents that explains the circumstances under which the locals went missing, a situation that has caused pain and suffering among families, local leadership and human rights defenders in the County.
“The families of the victims revealed that those who went missing were last seen under the security agents, however, no any admittance from the security details, this is totally confusing,” revealed Mr. Abdille.
He called for a more socially and communal approach in the fight against terrorism and extremism instead of excessive force exerted which has yielded no positive results in curbing the global security but social problem.
Abdille said that MUHURI fully supports the government in the fight against terrorism in the country, however he appealed for more socially approach and in depth investigation into the issue than exerting force to the ideological problem.
