Soldiers deployed for peacekeeping operations in Somalia have sexually abused women seeking aid at their military bases, a new report has revealed.
According to research by international advocacy organisation, Human Rights Watch, troops from the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) are abusing their positions of power to "prey" on vulnerable women unable to support themselves or their families.
"Soldiers have committed acts of rape and other forms of sexual abuse, as well as sexual exploitation - the abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes," the report revealed.
A total of 10 rape and sexual assault incidents and 14 cases of sexual exploitation were documented. Four victims were reportedly under the age of 18, the youngest being a 12-year-old girl who was allegedly raped by a Ugandan soldier in May, 2013.
Findings also revealed solders used humanitarian assistance provided by the mission to coerce victims into sexual activity.
Several woman told interviewers they had been approached for sex in return for money, or raped while seeking food and medical supplies at AMISON bases.
"I was scared he would come back and rape me again or kill me. I want the government to recognize the power these men have over us and for them to protect us from them," rape victim Farha A. (true identity withheld) said.
One of the report's authors, Laetitia Bader, said that it was likely many soldiers were involved in sexual exploitation.
"This is much more organised than a few soldiers," she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
AMISOM has drafted a policy and established structures to follow-up on sexual exploitation and abuse, however, HRW stated that activities carried out appeared to "primarily focused on protecting AMISOM's image rather than addressing the problem".
"AMISOM need to foster an organizational culture of 'zero tolerance' where force commanders do not turn a blind eye to unlawful activities on their bases," the group said.