{"id":222,"date":"2020-06-02T14:00:42","date_gmt":"2020-06-02T14:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trial.cmrsl.org\/?p=222"},"modified":"2020-06-02T14:06:29","modified_gmt":"2020-06-02T14:06:29","slug":"another-homophobic-attack-on-lgbtq-persons-at-the-kakuma-refugee-camp-2-left-unconscious","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trial.cmrsl.org\/index.php\/2020\/06\/02\/another-homophobic-attack-on-lgbtq-persons-at-the-kakuma-refugee-camp-2-left-unconscious\/","title":{"rendered":"ANOTHER HOMOPHOBIC ATTACK ON LGBTQ PERSONS AT THE KAKUMA REFUGEE CAMP \u2013 2 LEFT UNCONSCIOUS"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

On the 30th<\/sup>\nMay, 2020, People\u2019s\nHuman Rights Forum<\/a> reported, that a number of LGBTQ-identifying refugees\ndrawn from different sub-Saharan countries at the Kakuma Refugee Camp had been brutally\nattacked by other refugees in a suspected homophobic attack leading to loosing of\nconsciousness of at least 2 of them attacked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Kiyimba, 23, a Ugandan national and a\ngay-identifying refugee living in the camp, who spoke to CMRSL on WhatsApp, the\ntwo separate attacks occurred at 7.30 pm at the Transit Centre close to block\n13 which houses about 250 LGBTQ+ refugees from different sub-Saharan countries.\nA total of 6 six refugees were injured and two more fainted. Police arrived 40\nminutes later after the injured had already been taken to the hospital. The\ninjured are currently being treated at the Camp\u2019s medical facility situated\nwithin the camp.  There has been no\nresponse from UNHCR or the authorities. \nThose injured have been denied medical examination reports (P3 Forms) by\nthe police. The refugees are still in the block which Mr. Kiyimba says is open\nand accessible to anyone. The LGBTQ+ refugees are living in fear.  Attacks are usually perpetrated by the\ngeneral refugee population and some members of the Turkana community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pictures shared on by LGBTIQ\nKakuma Camp<\/a> on Facebook on 31st<\/sup> May and those of People Human\nRights Forum<\/a> a day earlier showed a young man, lying unconscious and at\nleast 2 others with deep cuts all over their bodies. These men were said to\nhave been attacked by a group of other people on suspicion that they might have\nbeen gay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This comes barely two\nmonths after Aneste Mweru, a gay refugee from the camp, was found dead on 14th<\/sup>\nApril, 2020 by apparent suicide outside the UNHCR’s Nairobi office, a death\nthat then highlighted the plight of LGBTQ refugees in Kenya. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kenya hosts hundreds of\nLGBTQ refugees at the sprawling Kakuma Refugee camp which is approximately 700\nKMS North-West of the Kenya\u2019s capital \u2013 Nairobi. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

LGBTQ refugees in Kenya\nhave fled other African countries where they face persecution. Although Kenya\noffers relative \u2018freedom\u2019, LGBTQ refugees, still face serious human rights\nviolations that sometimes lead to death, as they wait to be granted asylum in third\ncountries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Kenya itself, homosexuality\nis criminalized and homophobic sentiment runs deep leading to violence. At the\nrefugee camp, LGBTQ refugees face constant homophobic attacks from both fellow\nrefugees and the local host community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, in December,\n2018, after a brutal attack that left more than 20 injured, LGBTQ refugees were\nrelocated to Nairobi,  only to be\nforcefully repatriated back to the Kakuma refugee camp 6 months later, where\nthey continue to face attacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After repatriation, they\nwere attacked again on 21st<\/sup> December, 2019 and 9th<\/sup>\nJanuary, 2020<\/a> by members of the local Turkana community, while camped\noutside the UNHCR reception centre for safety, leading to at least 15 serious\ninjuries and destruction of several of their shelters. They have also decried\ncorruption in the relocation process to third countries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlier on 11th<\/sup>\nDecember, 2019, the Center for Minority Rights and Strategic Litigation had\nwritten to the agency about a reportedly missing LGBTQ refugee, without\nresponse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In\nApril 2020<\/a>, the LGBTQ held a sit in outside the UNHCR offices at Kakuma\ncalling for quicker relocations and security within the camp but after a few\ndays, on 27th<\/sup>\nApril, 2020<\/a>, police moved in on the protesters with tear gas and batons leading\nto several injuries among the refugees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A few days later,\nauthorities were called in after the LGBTQ refugees were attacked by other\nrefugees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

LGBTQ refugees have been quoted decrying repeated attacks because of their sexual orientation while police and the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, have failed to protect them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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