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Israel Announces Tactical Pause to Allow More Aid to Gaza; Biden Pledge Support for Ukraine, Trump Criticizes Zelensky, Zelensky Concludes Peace Summit; Chinese Premier Visits Australia; American Tourist Found Dead On Greek Island; Extreme Heat Wave Threaten Parts of U.S.; Kenya Investigating Allegations Against British Soldiers; Bryson DeChambeau Earns Second U.S. Open Trophy. Aired 2-2:45a ET

Aired June 17, 2024 - 02:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[02:00:00]

ANNA COREN, CNN HOST: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world and everyone streaming on CNN Max. I'm Anna Coren, live from Hong Kong. Just ahead, Israel's plans to pause daytime fighting along an aid route in Gaza is drawing backlash from some of Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right allies. We're live from Tel Aviv with the latest.

Ukraine says the tide is turning near its northern border as Kyiv soldiers appear to be holding their ground against Russian troops trying to take a key border town.

And shocking allegations against British soldiers stationed in Kenya are investigated after being overlooked for decades.

We are receiving new information about what went on behind the scenes as the Israeli military announced a tactical pause on Sunday. It apparently created confusion at the highest levels of government. An Israeli official tells CNN that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was unhappy when he heard about the announcement.

That source says Netanyahu was assured that the fighting in Rafah will continue. And Israel's right-wing national security minister posted this to social media, "Whoever decided on a tactical pause for the purpose of a humanitarian transition, especially at a time when the best of our soldiers are falling in battle, is an evil and a fool."

The Israeli military says the pause is designed to allow aid to get from the Kerem Shalom crossing into central Gaza. Here's the map of the route the IDF posted. Kerem Shalom is in the lower left corner of your screen. The red line marks the route that aid trucks will take, free of fighting, to reach the European hospital.

Meanwhile, there was little for Palestinian Muslims to celebrate on Sunday. Eid al-Adha is normally a joyous celebration. These ambulances were carrying victims of an Israeli airstrike in central Gaza. Elsewhere, there were prayers amid the rubble, like this event in Khan Younis. But with many Palestinians hungry and tens of thousands dead, there wasn't much of a feast or a celebration. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WISSAM AL-AJRAMI, PALESTINIAN IN JABALIYA CAMP (through translation): We were hoping to celebrate Eid in our homes, like other families, but the occupation has deprived us of that. The scenes that you see now, the shelling of homes, burning of homes, we were hoping to embrace our children to celebrate them this Eid, but they are now lying in cemeteries as dismembered body parts.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COREN: Well, journalist Elliott Gotkine joins us now live from Tel Aviv. Elliott, let's start with this tactical pause announced yesterday by the military for the delivery of aid. It clearly caught the government by surprise. I guess, why the confusion and what would it suggest about the relationship between the government and the IDF?

ELLIOTT GOTKINE, JOURNALIST: Anna, it's a very curious situation. I should just say that if you do hear noise in the background, there's a small protest taking place from schoolchildren demanding the release of the hostages still held in captivity by Hamas. But in terms of this tactical pause, which today on Monday went into effect just over an hour ago, runs until 7:00 p.m. local time, it's a very curious situation because it was announced on Sunday morning as having gone into effect on Saturday.

That was swiftly followed by a clarification saying that this tactical pause does not mean that there will be a cessation of hostilities in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, especially not in the southernmost city of Rafah, where Israel says the last redoubt of Hamas lies and where it must do battle with Hamas to destroy the last remaining battalions of the militant group.

This clarification apparently came because Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that he was unaware of this tactical pause. And Israeli media also reporting that Defense Minister Yoav Gallant was also kept in the dark. So if those reports are to be believed, it would seem to suggest that the two men that comprise Israel's war cabinet, in other words, are in charge of overseeing and managing the war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Of course, there were three members, but Benny Gantz left last week. But they don't seem to know what the Israeli military is announcing. So it's a very curious situation.

[02:05:01]

No doubt, you know, we'll get more information about the precise turn of events. But as you say, if you've got the prime minister unhappy with it, at least the initial report of a tactical pause and the defense minister unhappy. And of course, the far-right ministers, notably Itamar Ben-Gvir, the national security minister, furious at this announcement.

As you say, Itamar Ben-Gvir saying that whoever was responsible for this decision is an evil fool and should lose their jobs. But whatever the truth of the situation in terms of the mechanics of this tactical pause, the idea behind it is to get more desperately needed humanitarian aid, not just into the Gaza Strip, because there's a lot in there already. It's getting it distributed to where it is needed most.

And of course, that was already nowhere near enough when Israel took over the border crossing between Rafah and Egypt after Egypt closed that border crossing, saying it could no longer guarantee the safety of humanitarian aid truck drivers. On top of that, the Kerem Shalom crossing has come under sporadic rocket attack from Hamas as well, all of which adds up to and sorry, I should also add that America has now temporarily dismantled its $320 million pier that was due to bring aid coming in from Cyprus to the Gaza Strip.

So, all of that adds up to even less humanitarian aid getting in than there was before. It's down to a trickle and they are trying to get more in there. Now, I should say that we've heard from at least two U.N. agencies in a statement to CNN this morning saying that so far, at least there is they've not seen any change or any improvement to the situation of humanitarian aid being distributed because of this continued lack of law and order in the Gaza Strip. Anna?

COREN: Yeah, Elliott, I want to speak to you about that, because obviously this pause is welcomed by aid groups. However, many are skeptical that this will in fact be transformative, you know, that it will actually ease the humanitarian crisis unfolding across Gaza. The U.N. saying a million Gazans are facing starvation.

GOTKINE: Yeah, so look, it may be as I think one of the U.N. agencies said, look, it may just be too early to tell if this is going to have an impact. Of course, it didn't go into effect until Saturday morning. So just two days ago here in Israel. But the fact is, as I say, with the main crossing for humanitarian aid, i.e. Rafah still closed and Kerem Shalom being sporadically opened over the last few weeks.

And that pier, which was only really just kind of topping up some of the aid because the most efficient way to get aid in is over land rather than by sea or by those airdrops that we've see. Given that situation, it's hard to see quite how this humanitarian aid is going to get to where it needs to get to. Certainly, the U.N. agency saying that the law and order situation is such that they still can't guarantee the safety of drivers and the like when they go through to try to deliver that aid.

And as a result, distributing that aid remains incredibly challenging, even if physically getting aid into the Gaza Strip seems to, you know, have been happening. Indeed, it's been kind of a bit of a backlog. That doesn't seem to be the main problem. The main problem seems to be getting it to where it is needed most. And it simply isn't happening yet. And we'll have to, I guess, wait and see if this tactical pause from 7:00 a.m. local time, sorry, from 8:00 a.m. local time till 7:00 p.m. local time improves the situation. Anna?

COREN: Elliott Gotkine, we certainly appreciate your reporting from Tel Aviv. Thank you. As Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wraps his peace summit in

Switzerland, military bloggers say there's fierce fighting in a Ukrainian town in Kharkiv region. Ukrainian troops are trying to push back Russian advances near the border after losing control of several villages. A Ukrainian squad commander describes the situation as difficult but controlled, saying Russian troops are surrounded.

The Kremlin claims its forces are trying to create a buffer zone at the border that could help protect Russian cities like Belgorod. Russia's Ministry of Defence says its troops have improved the situation along the front line.

In one of the biggest shifts in Russia's war on Ukraine, the U.S. is permitting Ukraine to use some American weapons to strike targets inside Russian territory. It indicates how the Biden White House continues to support Ukraine, especially compared to Mr. Biden's opponent in this year's election, Donald Trump. Both candidates striking very different tones this past week on the war.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: We're going to stand with Ukraine.

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I think Zelensky is maybe the greatest salesman of any politician that's ever lived.

Every time he comes to our country, he walks away with $60 billion.

I will have that settled prior to taking the White House as president- elect.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[02:10:00]

COREN: But President Zelensky saw a strong show of support from his allies at the peace summit. More than 80 countries backed a joint statement calling for territorial integrity for Ukraine. This comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin unveiled his terms for a so- called peace proposal on Friday, which was criticized by many world leaders. Zelensky closed the summit with this warning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE: We are responding to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, not only with a full-scale defense of human life, but also with full-scale diplomacy. It's important that all, all participants of the summit supported Ukraine's territorial integrity, because there is will be no lasting peace without territorial integrity.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COREN: CNN's Michael Holmes has more now on how the summit played out.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): A path to peace in Ukraine was the ultimate goal, but after a two-day summit in Switzerland, attended by more than a hundred countries and international organizations, that outcome is still elusive.

From the beginning, there was little chance of making meaningful headway. Russia was not invited; China did not attend. Still, it was a show of continued support from Ukraine's Western allies, although Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky did offer one way for peace talks to begin.

ZELENSKY (through translation): Regarding negotiations with Russia, I think I've said it in a detailed manner. Russia can start negotiations with us tomorrow, not waiting for anything if it retreats from our lawful territory.

HOLMES (voice-over): Russia has dismissed the summit, and on Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin laid out his terms for peace talks, namely the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from four provinces that Moscow only partially controls and claims to have annexed, and Ukraine abandon its bid to join NATO.

Proposals neither side will accept. Even at the summit, there were some divisions on a final statement, which most delegations signed, reaffirming the importance of Ukraine's territorial integrity and political independence, and calling for Ukraine to once again control the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

But there were key holdouts who did not sign the communique, including India, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates, who have trade relations with Russia.

Attendees say a follow-up summit is possible and the joint statement cited the need for dialogue between all parties in order to reach peace, though just how and when to engage with Russia was left unanswered, and some leaders left skeptical.

URSULA VON DER LEYEN, PRESIDENT, EUROPEAN COMMISSION: Putin is not serious about ending the war. He's insisting on capitulation. He's insisting on ceding Ukrainian territory, even territory that today is not occupied by him. He's insisting on disarming Ukraine, leaving it vulnerable to future aggression. No country would ever accept these outrageous terms.

HOLMES (voice-over): Meanwhile, the war grinds on with Russian forces still holding a fifth of Ukraine and gaining ground in some frontline villages. There haven't been peace talks in more than two years, and the discussions held in Switzerland right now make no difference on the battlefield. Michael Holmes, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE) COREN: Well, Samuel Greene joins us now live from London. He's a professor of Russian politics and the director of the Russia Institute at King's College London. Great to have you with us. He's also the author, co-author of "Putin vs The People: The Perilous Politics of a Divided Russia." Samuel, it's certainly reassuring that 80 plus countries, obviously all Ukraine allies have signed this joint declaration. But other than that, what was really achieved?

SAMUEL GREENE, PROFESSOR OF RUSSIAN POLITICS: Well, I think it's reassuring to a degree, but it's cold comfort. I think we need to understand that this was not aimed actually at, you know, achieving a negotiating position with Russia. It was not aimed at trying to convince Putin to do anything, but really to galvanize global support behind the vision of a just peace and of a sustainable peace that Ukraine has for itself.

That's one in which it comes out, not just with an end to the fighting, but with reliable security and a reliable deterrence for further Russian aggression.

[02:14:58]

And that begins with the restoration of Ukrainian territorial sovereignty, the return of Ukrainian civilians held within Russia, and a number of other measures that Kyiv has outlined. I think the concern for Kyiv is that it's not moving the needle when it comes to a number of countries that are riding the fence, whether, again, as your reporter mentioned, that is India, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates.

And, you know, this sort of summiteering (ph) cannot substitute for progress on the front line, and it can't substitute for constancy in Western policy. And I think that, you know, there are very real concerns among countries around the world about how much Ukraine can actually achieve if the West is not going to keep its promises to give Ukraine everything it needs as quickly as possible.

COREN: You mentioned those countries that did not sign the joint declaration, and I guess that really is indicative of the enormous challenge Ukraine faces in putting this global pressure on Russia to find sustainable peace. I mean, as we know, this war will not be won militarily.

GREENE: Well, I don't, to be honest, know that we do know that. At the end of the day, there will have to be a political decision by both sides to stop fighting. For the moment, Russia is very much incentivized to keep fighting. It feels that it has Ukraine, at least to a certain extent, on the back foot. Ukraine has stabilized the front lines, but is not in the position to push forward with a new offensive.

It is seeing skepticism in many Western countries. It's hoping for a particular outcome in the American elections in November, again, as your reporters have mentioned. But the reality is that Russia will not be minded to pursue a negotiated solution, and again, one that provides Ukraine with lasting security, until the dynamic changes on the front lines, and Russia faces a very real prospect of losing the war.

COREN: President Zelensky has said that Russia can come to the next peace summit. Is that wishful thinking considering that the peace plan, or otherwise ultimatum, that Putin delivered last week?

GREENE: I think it's highly unlikely. The reality, I think, is that Putin has baked this war very much into his politics, into his economics. It's the only thing driving economic growth right now in Russia. Again, as your reporters have mentioned, he's written it into the Constitution, claiming territory that he does not have a right to, and which he does not militarily control.

And I think that is a recognition of the fact that, you know, this conflict really is going to be the cornerstone of Putin's power for as long as that power lasts. I think it's going to be very difficult for him to pivot away from it, even if he wants to. He's found it to be politically very profitable, even if economically it's been damaging, and certainly it's been damaging to the lives of hundreds of thousands of Russians who fought and died or have been injured in this war.

I think to a certain extent, there's a hope that this might send a message to others in Russia that there is a pathway out of this, if they were able to maneuver Putin out of power. But that, again, is something people have been hoping for, for a long time, without really much sign of anything happening.

COREN: Samuel, as you say, Putin has no incentive to stop fighting. Russia has momentum on the battlefield. Its economy is on a war footing. There, of course, is this new round of U.S. sanctions that were enforced last week. But is that enough to hurt Russia and have any real impact?

GREENE: Well, it does hurt. I mean, we've seen the volatility that's created on currency markets. We've seen that it's making it more difficult, more expensive for Russia both to export the commodities that it does export, whether it's exporting them to the West or to other people around the world who do their business in dollars and euros, mostly.

Or whether it is importing the consumer goods that Russia does not produce really for its own economy. The reality, however, is that Russia will adapt to that as it has adapted to further rounds of sanctions. I think there's a little bit of a danger that Western governments keep looking for a silver bullet for the one sanction that will really bring Russia to its knees. It's not going to work that way. What will have an impact is a constant drumbeat of these sorts of significant sanctions moves that will simply keep the Russian economy destabilized.

COREN: Samuel Greene, joining us from London. We appreciate your analysis. Thank you.

GREENE: Thank you.

COREN: Well, still to come, record-breaking heat is expected to scorch parts of the U.S. and these hot temperatures could linger on for days in some places. We'll have the latest update next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:20:00]

COREN: Australia's Prime Minister is officially welcoming Chinese Premier Li Qiang, who is on a four-day visit to the country. This is the first visit to Australia by a Chinese Premier in seven years and the latest sign of thawing relations between Beijing and Canberra.

Well, our very own Kristie Lu Stout joins us now live from Hong Kong. Kristie, we saw panda diplomacy on full display yesterday for Premier Li's arrival today. He's in Canberra and I guess it's down to business.

KRISTIE LU STOUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Down to business and new lines coming out. We've just learned the last couple of hours, Anna, that China has added Australia to its growing list of visa-free countries, which just underscores a sign of improving relations between China and Australia just when the Chinese Premier Li Qiang is there for a four- day visit.

This is the first visit by a Chinese Premier to Australia since early 2017 and it is designed to clearly showcase how relations have improved and have stabilized after years of tension. Tension over trade as well as foreign interference. That was earlier today, just a couple of hours ago, when the Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with the Prime Minister of Australia for talks.

On the agenda were the following issues. Let's bring it up for you. Of course, trade as well as energy, regional security, climate change, human rights and the fate of a jailed Australian writer, Yang Hengjun. But despite the points of contention on this list, the Prime Minister of Australia hailed the stabilization of ties. I want you to watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER OF AUSTRALIA: Premier Li's presence represents another important step in stabilizing our relationship with China. Our approach has, of course, been patient, calibrated and deliberate. I've said repeatedly, we will cooperate where we can disagree where we must, but engage in our national interests. And that is in the interests of Australia and in the interests of China, as well as in the interests of regional stability.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT: Now, on Sunday, the Chinese Premier kicked off his four-day visit to Australia. He visited an Australian winery as well as the Adelaide Zoo, where he pledged that Beijing will give two new pandas to Australia for a bit of panda diplomacy there. It was also on Sunday when Li Qiang declared that relations are, quote, "back on track."

But we also heard from the Foreign Minister of Australia, who revealed behind the scenes what it took to get to this point of stabilization in relations. This is what Penny Wong told the ABC on Sunday, let's bring it up for you, her quote saying, "It comes after two years of very deliberate, very patient work by this government to bring about a stabilization of the relationship," unquote.

[02:25:00]

And of course, trade is very large in this relationship between China and Australia. China is Australia's largest trading partner. China is a significant investor in Australian mining projects. So it should come as no surprise that the next stop for Li Qiang in Australia will be the mining state of Western Australia where we are expected to see and to hear from the Chinese Premier asking for more market access to Australian commodities. Back to you.

COREN: Kristie, as you say, it's been a rocky road. Let's see if this renewed relationship remains. Kristie Lou Stout, always a pleasure. Thank you.

LU STOUT: Thank you.

COREN: Well, local media in Greece report that a missing American man has been found dead on a small island west of Corfu. The body was reportedly found by another tourist Sunday on a rocky remote beach. The 55-year-old was reported missing by his host on Thursday. This is the latest in a string of recent cases where tourists on the Greek islands have died or gone missing after going on hikes in scorching temperatures.

Noted British TV presenter and author Michael Mosley was found dead last Sunday on the Greek island of Symi. A coroner concluded he had died shortly after trying to hike over difficult terrain.

A significant heatwave is expected to sweep across large parts of the U.S. this week. A record-breaking heat is building from the Midwest and Great Lakes to the northeast. More than 260 million people could see temperatures above 90 degrees, with some cities likely topping 100 degrees. It's potentially the longest heatwave experienced in decades for some areas with the high temperatures expected to continue into next week.

And it's not just the U.S. Extreme weather events are being felt across the globe. Earlier I spoke with Elliot Jacobson, a climate analyst, and I asked him if these extreme events are the new normal.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELLIOT JACOBSON, CLIMATE RESEARCHER: The planet (ph) right now over the last 365 days is over 1.6 C above the pre-industrial baseline. So we are already breaking through the Paris limit even as we speak on a yearly basis, and there's no end in sight to that. So, right now we're looking at possibly passing 1.5 for good by the end of this decade, maybe hitting 2.0 C by the 2040s.

So, whatever we think is normal or abnormally hot this year, as they say, this will be the coolest year possibly for the rest of our lives. So, yeah, this is something we're going to have to get used to. These increasingly severe events happening around the world, and it's just going to get worse and worse, honestly, until either we just stop using fossil fuels or something else happens that that's some surprise geoengineering or some other way to put a stop to this.

COREN: That is a frightening prospect to think that this could be the coolest year of our lives moving forward when the world is experiencing this extreme heat. Three of the last five years were La Nina cycles, which, as you say, are supposed to cool the climate. Yet the world, as we know, saw the highest global temperatures on record. It seems that that pendulum swing between El Nino, La Nina, it is now out of kilter.

JACOBSON: Well, the La Nina should bring us down a little bit. But the thing is that we are so high right now that even if we come down sort of a normal amount from La Nina later this year, we're still going to be setting records compared to every other year. So if we're at 1.6 this year and La Nina takes us down to 1.4, well, the average of those is 1.5, and that's the Paris limit and we're really staring that right in the face right now.

So, this is something that people are watching really closely, just how far down will this La Nina takes us? And that's a really important question right now, because whatever that number ends up being, it's going to tell us a lot just about how fast things are moving, whether they're accelerating and whether honestly, it's just getting to how it's happening too fast and too severe. And it may be just life changing in the short term. We don't actually know.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COREN: You can watch my full interview with Elliot Jacobson next hour.

Still ahead, shocking allegations against British soldiers stationed in Kenya are being investigated that's been overlooked for decades. The details when we return.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:32:39]

COREN: Kenya is investigating claims of sexual assault, committed near a British training base north of Nairobi. Locals revealed horrific tales of gang rape and other forms of sexual violence by British soldiers to a parliamentary committee investigating the troop's conduct.

Well, similar complaints have been made for decades.

Our Larry Madowo has this report and we must warn you some viewers may find the subject matter disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): She's just 17, but Marian lives alone in this single room house, a mixed race girl in rural Kenya, when nobody looks like her.

MARIAN PANNALOSSY, SEARCH FOR FATHER: They actually call me poor white girl (ph). I don't know why they call poor white girl (ph). They only say, why are you here? Just look for a connection that you will go to your own people. You don't belong in here.

MADOWO: Marian's mother, Lydia Juma, was among hundreds of women who accused soldiers from the British Army Training Unit Kenya, Batuk, of rape.

She was interviewed in this 2011 documentary.

LYDIA JUMA, ACCUSED BRITISH SOLDIER OF RAPE Because in our tribe, we can't report that thing, it's a big shame if you go and say that you've been raped.

MADOWO: Lydia Juma died two years after that interview and Marian has never met her father.

She has to fend for herself in a society that ostracize her.

You have not lost hope of finding your father someday.

PANNALOSSY: Never lost hope.

MADOWO: Mixed race children keep being born in the remote villages where the British army trains in Kenya.

Generica Namoru says she was in a consensual relationship with a British soldier when she worked at their base, but she claims he has never supported her since she gave birth.

GENERICA NAMORU, CLAIMS BRITISH SOLDIER ABANDONED DAUGHTER (through translator): I'm a woman with a white child. It's not easy for my family, especially because a child is expensive. She's suffering for no good reason.

MADOWO: So you just want him to take responsibility for his daughter.

NAMORU: Yeah, nothing else. For him, I want him to take an education, health.

MADOWO: Have you ever received a cent end from him since she was born?

[02:35:00]

NAMORU: I never received anything.

MADOWO: Generica is jobless and says she has unsuccessfully tried to petition local authorities and the British army to find her ex- boyfriend.

The British High Commission told CNN, it cooperates with local child support authorities in paternity claims. But the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights says the U.K. government has made no effort to hold soldiers accountable in such cases.

MARION MUTUGI, COMMISSIONER, KENYA NATIONAL COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS: These children really deserved citizenship. They are British kids. Their fathers were British.

MADOWO: So the British government is just not interested in resolving these cases.

MUTUGI: We don't think they are interested. We call it BBBB, British boys behaving badly.

MADOWO: The UK pays Kenya about $400,000 a year to allow up to 10,000 British soldiers to train in the country. Kenya renewed the five-year deal in 2021, despite opposition from some local groups, lawmakers, and human rights defenders.

MUTUGI: We have also had cases where this women and people who have reported have been intimidated. So there is a conspiracy to make sure that justice does not happen for these women.

MADOWO: Allegations of rape and other crimes, including murder by British soldiers in Kenya date back to the 1950s. These elderly women accused Batuk officers of rape in the '70s and '80s in a landmark case in London, over 20 years ago.

Ntoyie Lenkanan says she was one of them.

NTOYIE LENKANAN, ACCUSSED BRITISH SOLDIERS OF RAPE (through translator): I was going to fetch water when I was ambushed by a group of British soldiers who were hiding in the grass and the river. One of them grabbed me and raped me.

MADOWO: In 2007, Britain's Ministry of Defense dismissed over 2000 claims of rape from mostly Maasai and Samburu women saying, quote, there was no reliable evidence to support any single allegation.

The government in Nairobi lost the case files without explanation.

A royal military police investigation concluded that most of the Kenyan evidence appear to have been fabricated. One Kenyan official called it a cover-up.

They did not come back to DNA tests on any of the 69 mixed race children alleged to have been born as a result of rape by British soldiers.

Lawyer Kelvin Kubai is working to reintroduce the case in Kenyan courts.

Seventeen-year-old Marian will be the lead plaintiff, taking up a fight her mother didn't win in her lifetime.

KELVIN KUBAI, LAWYER: It is traumatic and psychologically disturbing to people like Marian and many others continue to say that British training, I miss them with all these unresolved trauma, and historical injustices.

MADOWO: Larry Madowo, CNN, Nanyuki, Kenya.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COREN: The British High Commission told CNN that it takes all allegations raised by the community seriously, and it ensures thorough investigations. It added that all sexual activity which involves the abuse of power is prohibited.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:40:21]

COREN: Welcome back.

Well, Bryson DeChambeau became U.S. Open champion for the second time after a topsy-turvy day of golf in Pinehurst, North Carolina. Known as a scientist because precise and sometimes eccentric approach to the game, DeChambeau applied his calculus to win by one stroke after an early challenge from a surging Rory McIlroy.

Well, McIlroy lead at one point, but faltered in the home stretch, making a bogey on three of the final four, hold to narrowly miss out on his fifth major. DeChambeau held his nerve with a crucial cool headed shot out of the bunker at 18 to save par at one over for the round, six under total, secured second championship in five years.

Well, turning to Euro 2024 football, Ukraine is set to take on Romania in the coming hours in Munich, Germany. This is the first major tournament the war-torn nation has qualified for. Since Russia invaded in 2020. The Ukrainian players have become a beacon of hope for their country as it struggles under the weight of conflict. And it's a responsibility the team takes very seriously.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ILLIA ZABARNYI, UKRAINE DEFENDER: There were day our country wake up in alarms and it's difficult. Yeah, children, the womens, civilian people, lots of people died. There were day and I think it needs to stop and, of course, it's emotional moment before kickoff and -- but when the stand to where we are and what we need to do.

SERHIY REBROV, UKRAINE COACH: The war is continue, you see more motivation for the player because I know all the plays. I personally getting lots of messages from the -- from our fighters, from our soldiers, from our friends who is now fighting for Ukraine, for freedom of Ukraine.

And I'm sure they are very proud with us. We are very proud for them, but they are telling when you are here to show the spirit of Ukraine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COREN: After the Ukraine, Romania matchup, Belgium will face off against Slovakia, followed by an Austrian-French showdown.

Well, thanks so much for your company. I'm Anna Coren in Hong Kong.

"WORLD SPORT" is up next, and I'll be back in 15 minutes time with more of CNN NEWSROOM. See you then.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:45:00]

(WORLD SPORT)