Somali militia warned of revenge attacks

The abduction of five Kenyans in Somalia could have been a revenge mission by the Al Shabaab militia.

It emerged that the militia had warned Kenya over what it termed harassment of Somalis at the border.

In a letter, whose copy was faxed to The Standard, they said the attacks, which were to begin yesterday, would target military installations, police stations, Government vehicles and other centres.

Written in Somali, the letter said: "We will assault your country with hand grenades, automatic artilleries, kidnapping and if need be, suicide bombing, which will be targeting sensitive Government bases.

The letter, which was not signed, was dropped off as leaflets on the police patrol line on the border on March 23. A top Somali administrator claimed Kenya continuously mistreated Somalis crossing the border.

And the fate of the abductees will be decided after Al Shabaab’s intelligence agency completes findings over the presence of the Kenyans in Somalia.

Ahmed Mohammed Yussuf Burkus, who is the Bulla Hawa DC said Kenyan security personnel on the porous border "daily mistreated and shamelessly extorted Somali nationals coming to Kenya for inter-border business."

Sneaked in

He cited an incident in which Mandera Police officers beat a woman trader after she sneaked in to sell commodities on the Kenyan side.

Unconfirmed reports indicated that the militia had written to Mandera East DC on March 23 after the attack on the businesswoman.

And the high-powered Kenyan security team, on a mission to negotiate the release of the abductees, has been denied entry into Somalia.

The security team led by Mandera East acting DC Benedict Nduva and area OCPD Odhiambo Akello met with Burkus at Mandera custom point but returned dejected.

Clan elders

And Police Commissioner Maj-Gen Hussein Ali said they had enlisted two local clan elders to lead in the negotiations to release the five Kenyans.

"Two prominent local emissaries are leading the talks as part of efforts to secure the release of the abducted Kenyans," he said.

However other sources said local Al Shabaab agents demanded that Kenya negotiates with their bosses in Mogadishu.

Government Spokesman Alfred Mutua claimed Kenya is negotiating with Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government for the release of the five.

Parliament’s Committee on Defence also denounced the kidnap and demanded their unconditional release. Wajir West MP Aden Keynan, who chairs the committee, said there was no confirmation over which group was holding the Kenyans.

"We appeal to the abductors to release these innocent people unconditionally," he said adding Kenya should resist ransom demands.

Those abducted were identified as Wajir South DEO Moses Mwangi, Quality Assurance Officer Charles Nyakundi and North Eastern Provincial Quality Assurance Boss Onchiri Onyancha, a teacher Mohammed Madey and their driver, Abdikadir Mohammed.

NEP Director of Education Pascal Makiti said the victims had gone for a walk after officiating provincial school games. The incident comes barely a fortnight after Kenya was granted permission to prosecute eight Somali pirates.

Burkus said: "We don’t believe these are innocent people and that is why we have to take our time to investigate them thoroughly to establish their motive on our soil. It is not common for Kenyans particularly non-Somalis to visit our war weary town".

Source: The Standard