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."
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.