CEOAFRICA.com received news from Somalia that African Union force in the country have commenced investigation into an alleged gang rape involving its troops in the capital, Mogadishu.

It was gathered that a Somali woman alleged that she was abducted, drugged and repeatedly raped earlier this month by officers from the national army and the AU force. This has caused outrage in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia by women activists.

Sources said rape and sexual abuse is a growing problem in Somalia, as those living in camps for people displaced by conflict and the 2011 famine are most vulnerable.

According to US-based Human Rights Watch, the abuse often takes place at the hands of armed groups, including government forces. It encouraged that the government should do more to tackle the issue.

The African Union Mission in Somalia has set up a joint team with the Somali army "to investigate the matter... and appropriate action will be taken once the facts of the case have been established", its statement said.