Residents of Ashing, in the North West, and nearby areas are increasingly vocal about alleged military brutality at checkpoints, with several incidents of severe beatings and suspected sexual exploitation coming to light.
Toh, a local motorcycle rider, recounted a harrowing experience involving his younger brother.
“When I woke up on Friday, May 31st, I gave my younger brother flowers to go sell at a graduation taking place at Ashing,” Toh (not his real name) told MMI.
“On his way back in the company of three others, he was stopped at a control post in Ashing by the soldiers.”
According to Toh, the soldiers took his brother to a nearby house at the checkpoint, where they beat him severely on the buttocks before abandoning him.
“His friends later got a bike and rushed him to a hospital in Kikwini,” Toh recounted, expressing fear for his brother’s life.
Toh shared more details about the incident, stating, “My brother said they were stopped, and he was dragged into the house where the beating began. All he was told is that he is stubborn.”
This isn’t the first report of such brutality. “On Wednesday, May 29th, another lady who refused to give the soldiers her number was mercilessly beaten at the checkpoint,” Toh recounted.
He added that the population is often subjected to floggings, particularly when separatists conduct checkpoints, as the military accuses the residents of not reporting to them.
“It’s very painful; we have been tortured by those stationed to protect us, which is why I have run to the media,” Toh said.
He revealed that this was the second time his younger brother, a Form Four student at St. Bedes College, had experienced such torture.
“We do petty trade, and I also ride the bike to make our ends meet.”
Concerns about the treatment of women at these checkpoints have also surfaced.
“Any beautiful lady is asked for her number. If she doesn’t give it, it means trouble for her. We suspect that women have been sexually exploited at the checkpoint,” Toh told MMI.
These allegations of military abuse have sparked outrage and fear among the local population, who are now calling for urgent intervention to stop the mistreatment.
The community’s plight highlights a growing demand for accountability and human rights protection in the North West region, where armed conflict has triggered gross human rights abuses against civilians.
