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From: B-Haile (eritrea.lave@comhem.se)
Date: Sat Feb 26 2011 - 20:50:28 EST
Kenya denies involvement in border fighting
Written By:Carol Gakii/KNA, Posted: Sat, Feb 26, 2011
between suspected Al-Shaabab militants, Somali government forces and troops in Bullahawa town, a kilometre from Mandera town.
Defense Minister Yusuf Haji Saturday dismissed allegations that Kenya was assisting Ethiopia to fight the Somali militia groups along the Kenya -Somali border.
The fighting broke out after suspected Al Shabaab militia launched an attack on Somali troops returning home after training in Ethiopia
A woman was Friday killed and 10 others seriously injured by stray bullets raising fears that the fighting might spill into Kenya.
Several stray bullets also hit the Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) offices in Mandera, where six members of staff were holed up alongside many other residents of the town.
On Wednesday, a mortar bomb thrown by Al-shabaab militias landed near the Mandera District hospital causing panic among the patients and workers.
Addressing the media on the sidelines of a devolved government forum at a Garissa hotel, the Minister said "it's strictly a Somalia issue with the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and militia groups battling for the control of the vital border town," he said.
The Ijara legislator said that the situation in Mandera was being complicated by the location of the town.
"Mandera town is located between Bulla Hawa town on the Somalia side and Malkasuftu town on the Ethiopian side," he said.
"The towns are all joined and the lack of a clear boundary makes it very difficult for Mandera residents to escape chaos erupting in the other towns," he added.
The defense minister said the fighting in the Somali part of the border is not a new thing pointing out that four months ago the town experienced fierce fighting between the same groups.
"At that time, the TFG in collusion with another militia group was fighting Al-Shabab for the control of the town," he said.
The minister also dismissed reports that flights to Mandera had been diverted to the Takaba airstrip some 100 KM away.
"As far as I know, no such thing is happening," he stated
He assured Kenyans that the country was secure and that enough military personnel had been deployed to the border to bolster security.
"Kenyans have nothing to worry about since security agencies are taking every precaution to ensure the nation's frontiers are secure," he said.
Elsewhere, North Eastern Provincial Police boss Leo Nyongesa said calm is slowly returning in the town which has been deserted. Several offices including banks and many offices remain closed.
http://www.kbc.co.ke/news.asp?nid=69107
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