The UK military’s 2022 ‘zero tolerance’ policy on s*xual exploitation abroad has failed at preventing soldiers from paying for s*x and abusing local women, especially in Kenya, according to British news outlet openDemocracy. Despite the UK Ministry of Defence stating no military personnel who were investigated were found to have violated this policy, openDemocracy’s Freedom of Information (FOI) request forced open the ministry’s records, which showed it had dismissed 184 soldiers for s*xual offences since 2022.
Still, local women, particularly in Kenya, find it nearly impossible to bring claims forward or win justice because of British ‘sovereignty’ and lack of jurisdiction to pursue charges. Esther Nkoji, whose 21-year-old aunt was allegedly k*lled by British soldiers, described the military’s actions as a form of neo-colonialism, where African women are marginalised and unable to seek justice. An ITV documentary exposed that soldiers admit to continuing this behaviour, viewing the transactional s*x ban as a ‘grey area.’ For the decades before the ban, between 1965 and 2001, Amnesty International estimated 650 r*pe cases in the Samburu and Umoja regions.
Globally, British military personnel have been implicated in s*xual crimes and misconduct in various countries with no accountability.
How best can Africa protect women? Let us know what you think.
Sources: