5000 KENYANS HAVE FLED THEIR HOMES ALONG THE KENYA-ETHIOPIAN BORDER FOLLOWINGTHE RECENT KILLINGS OF TEN VILLAGERS BY MERILLE MILITIAMEN IN BORDER RAIDS.
Writes Leo Odera Omolo
MORE than 5,000 people, mainly Kenyan nomadic Turkana tribesmen have been displaced and forced to flee their homes along the Kenya-Ethiopia common border after the attacks by Merille militiamen.
The militiamen from Ethiopia Merille tribe have been attacking villages and fishermen on Lake Turkana. They have been reportedly killed close to ten people in the past two weeks.
A senior Kenyan government official operating on he Kenyan side of the borer confirmed the incident.
“We are deploying security teams along the border to help deal with invaders who have been tormenting our people,” said the District Commissioner for the Turkana North Mr Albert Mwlitsa, adding that the displaced families have since fled their homes and moved away from the villages close t the borderline.”
The D.C said although tension is high in the area, the security personnel posted there will soon bring the situation under control
Ethiopian authorities have also moved their security personnel and deployed their teams a five key border points along their common borders with Kenya.
The official further disclose that tension rose in the area two week ago after the heavily armed Merille militiamen had attacked the innocent Kenyan villagers and killed two people at a place called Mayan a few kilometers from the volatile Todonyang’ border post.
He added, however, that it has been difficult for the security personnel to stop the militiamen frequent raids. “We are working round the clock together and jointly with Ethiopians, but the prevailing high tension has made it difficult to have the community elders in the areas to engage in dialogue so that we could find a lasting peace,” said Mr Mwilitsa over the phone interview.
At the same it has been reported that 500 fishermen from the two countries have fled Lake Turkana following the recent killing of their five colleagues by Merille militiamen.
This particular incident has brought the fishing activities on the lake to halt. Fishing operations inside lake Turkana have been paralyzed.
Clashes between fishermen from the two countries are blamed on Merille militiamen. The Kenyan fishermen were attacked and shot dead on the shores of the lake as they were preparing their fishing nets.
Fishing cannot flourish with insecurity all over. We have agreed that we would jointly restore the security situation so that our people can engage on commercial fishing”, said the D.C. the government has agreed to increase the number o marine polic in the lake from ten to 35. They will be given extra motor boa to be used in patrolling the lake,which is shared by the two countries.
However, Lake Turkana is largely controlled by Ethiopian groups making it difficult for Kenyan fishermen to eat there peacefully.
Ends