MOGADISHU (Halbeeg News) – Kenyan military have destroyed several telecommunication masts in Somalia for the last two years, UN said.
The forces carried out five attacks on telecommunications masts including an attack that killed two civilians.
An expert panel who reported in its latest update to the UN Security Council on Monday said the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) attacked communications towers in Somalia between 2017 and 2019.
The panel, which monitors sanctions on Somalia, said it received reports of KDF attacks on 12 towers operated by Hormuud Telecom, a Mogadishu-based provider, since 2017, almost all in Gedo along Kenya’s northernmost border with Somalia.
“The Panel has been able to independently corroborate five of those attacks, which resulted in the deaths of two civilians,” the UN sanctions committee said.
Hormuud previously accused the Kenyan military of targeting its masts in the south end of the country.
The company said it has borne heavy losses accumulating to millions in terms of provision of phone and data services to its customers since 2018.
In its latest report, Hormuud said Kenyan troops detonated mast for Somalia’s largest telecommunication company for the 12th time in less than two years.
“For the 12th time this year, KDF has detonated our masts in Aws-Karun at Gedo region of Jubbaland. The attack took place on August 22nd. The troops used powerful machines to destroy the equipment,” the company said.
The company urged the African Union, the United Nations, and AMISOM to intervene and prevent the troops from degrading international community’s integrity.
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