Kenya has protested over incursions and senseless ritual killing by
Ethiopian militia and the disruption of fishing activities along the shores
of the Lake Turkana.
Officials said on Thursday that heavily armed troops have been moved to the
Todonyang area of Turkana in Kenya's Rift Valley, where three police
officers were killed and five others wounded by Merrile bandits from
Ethiopia.
Turkana North District Commissioner Albert Mwilitsa said the government has
launched official protest against invasions by the Ethiopians. The officials
confirmed that tension is high along the Kenya-Ethiopia border after Merrile
herders attempted to invade grazing fields inside Kenya.
"The border is tense and we have moved a big number of security personnel
troops to beef up security after Ethiopians tried to cross to the country,"
Mwilitsa said. Security units have been established at various entry points
along the common boundary.
"We have a full-pledged police station, General Service Unit and rapid
deployment unit from the administration police to deal with the Ethiopian
militia," the administrator said.
Up to 50 people including security officers have been killed by the
Ethiopian militia since May last year.This has forced hundreds of Turkana
families to move away from the rich fishing grounds along the shores for
their safety to Lwarengak, 14 km away for safety, according to Kenyan
officials.
Fishing is the only source of income for the Turkanas. The pastoralist
community depends on fishing to supplement food handouts from the government
and donors.
Despite heavy presence of Kenyan officers, families are fleeing the area as
heavily Ethiopian militia take control of the volatile border.
Mwilitsa said Kenya has made demands to the Ethiopian administration in a
bid to restore peace at the border.
Among the demands is the withdrawal and disarmament of the nearly 500
Merrile militia at Natapal, an Ethiopian security post at the border.
The militia is accused of staging attacks on the Kenyan side to force
officer and Turkana villagers to move away from the fertile fishing areas.
Mwilitsa said he had delivered a Kenyan protest letter. "We are demanding
that the Ethiopian authority to step in security measures and stop their
people from invading our territory. I have talked and delivered our demands
to the chief administrative officer of southern Omo zone and we expect their
regional president Shiferaw to act," the official told Xinhua by telephone.
Mwilitsa said the government also wants the Ethiopian side to establish a
legitimate security camp at Natapal.
"We want a legal security camp at the border to help control and restrain
Ethiopian civilians from entering Kenya and also bring down the incursions,"
the official said.
Kenya and Ethiopia last week agreed to jointly demarcate a new international
boundary separating disputes over beacons and infiltration of criminals and
communal border conflicts.
President Mwai Kibaki and Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi have agreed
on the demarcation to end the protracted confusion on the boundary.
"Following a directive by the two Heads of State that a joint boundary
committee be established to inspect boundary and replace pillars, it is
paramount that we move forward as per the principals' directives," Acting
Internal Security Permanent Secretary Mutea Iringo told the security
delegation from Kenya and Ethiopia in Kenya's port city Mombasa.
The official announced that Kenya has established an army base along the
Kenya-Ethiopia border in Todonyang in Turkana County to curb rebel militia
attacks and asked Ethiopia to establish the same on its side of the border
to allow the security personnel to tighten surveillance and address security
issues as they arise on the ground.
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Received on Thu May 10 2012 - 10:07:56 EDT
