WAJIR, Kenya, Mar 2- A section of North-Eastern Kenya residents have criticized and vowed to tackle the incessant al-shabaab attacks in the region following the recent killing of civilians in Wajir, Garissa and Mandera counties.
The locals pointed out the latest attacks, where a vehicle, which was carrying passengers ran over an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) at Bida area located between Hagarsu and Omar Jillow in Mandera County that resulted in the death of six people.
There was another incident in Erga area along Wajir-Gerile road within Wajir County on February 2, 2022, that resulted in injuries and deaths.
The recent spate of IED attacks in the region has led to civilian and security personnel fatalities, injuries, disruption of normal lives in some areas, and growing fear among local populations.
The locals who are seemingly becoming fed up with cowardly acts by rag-tag criminals who are disrupting their normal lives with IEDs are now warning al-Shabaab miscreants that their days are numbered.
The affected areas locals have indicated that they are going to proactively work closely with law enforcement agencies to smoke out any suspected militants in the region.
This, they say will erode camouflage spaces that some criminals have taken advantage of to launch sporadic IED attacks against the civilians and security personnel in the region.
The new revelations and commitment by the locals to work with the government have been welcomed by government officials in the North-Eastern region.
The swift action and collaborations between locals and the security personnel led to the arrest of one of the suspects behind the explosive attacks on a public service vehicle at Ibido and more efforts have been extended to areas along the border to arrest the rest of the attackers.
The government officials have applauded the local residents in the region for rising up against the violent ideology and criminal activities perpetrated by the al-shabaab militants in the region.
The newly deployed North Eastern Regional Commissioner James Kianda while addressing a meeting of local and religious leaders in Konton area praised the efforts that the locals have made in supporting the government in securing the region from the incessant al-shabaab targeted harassment and intimidations.
He assured them of the government’s commitment to deal with the insecurity caused by al-Shabaab and other forms of incitements.
He further urged the local stakeholders to continuously support the ongoing security operations and deployment in the region, which he said was bearing some successes in dealing with the criminals.
He also urged the local administrators to work with the residents to identify individuals residing within the region and who are helping al-Shabaab – providing shelter and food as well as information to terrorists.
The incoming North Eastern police regional commander, George Seda, regretted the recent incidents but assured the residents of the government’s commitment to the war against al-Shabaab terrorist.
“The Kenyan government will pursue the terrorists within our borders and in Somalia,” he said.
He added that “we will not allow criminals from outside the country to gain a foothold in Kenya and spread terror.”
Local leaders blamed al-Shabaab for promoting a radical ideology that they say is retrogressive and which is against the region’s economic progress.
Previously, al-Shabaab targeted teachers in the far-flung part of the region, a move that forced the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to transfer them to other places which were considered safe.
The information gathered from neighbouring Somalia’s Jubaland State also paints a picture of locals who have suffered from al-Shabaab attacks and harassment.
The report shows that the criminal group appears to be facing similar resentment from the local communities on the Jubaland side of the Kenya-Somali border.
The residents said the al-Shabaab terror group has been forcefully demanding that local in areas of Gedo and Jubaland donate some of their livestock to them.
The recently released report by the United Nations monitoring group stated that al-Shabaab for a long time has resorted to threats, intimidation, and violence to terrify clan elders and locals into coercion in demanding payment of illegal taxes and in some cases, they forcefully round off their livestock and take them away.
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