The General King of the Awliyahan community in three East African countries, Ugaas Hussein, has called on communities from Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia to work together in helping their governments deal with the Al-shabaab menace in the Horn of Africa.
Speaking during a meeting of the Awliyahan community in Garissa on Sunday, Hussein, who is the former Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Somalia, emphasised the role played by communities in volunteering information on suspected criminals in their midst to security authorities.
The Northeastern region has been faced with a myriad of security challenges for a decade now, with insurgents from neighbouring Somalia launching attacks before escaping back to their country.
The Awliyahan King said that gone are the days when matters of security were left to the security apparatus alone, saying that it is an issue that affects everyone.
“We are one big community that is spread across Somalia, Kenya, and Ethiopia. I can assure you that if we worked closely together and shared intelligence with our respective security personnel in real time, then some of these attacks that we witnessed would not have occurred. They would be dealt with before they happened,” Hussein said.
Garissa County Peace Chairman, Osman Ibrahim Abdi, who spoke on behalf of the elders, echoed Hussein’s sentiments, saying that insecurity in the County and the region at large can only be addressed through collaboration between wananchi and the security apparatus.
“The threat posed by members of this terror group can and will be easily eliminated if we, in one voice, decide to tackle it head-on, without fear. It has worked before, it can still work, and it will work,” Abdi confided.
Dadaab Member of the County Assembly (MCA), Mohamed Abdi Farah, said Security can be managed if communities from troubled areas work closely with security apparatus.
“As communities that are not only neighbours but brothers and sisters, ours is to make sure that we work round the clock to maintain our security by remaining alert and sharing actionable intelligence with the security apparatus, said Farah.
“This is the only way that we will defeat the enemy, who has shown that he is hell bent on ensuring that he continues causing havoc in our territory,” he added.
Farah, whose Dadaab Constituency has not been spared in the past by the attacks and which hosts the biggest refugee camp, further urged residents to jealously guard their hard-earned security stability.
“Generally, our communities have suffered because of these attacks, which have not only affected our businesses across the three countries but all aspects of life. Al-shabaab is not only a Kenyan problem but one that cuts across the region. For this reason, we must all stand up and say no to this group,” he said.
By Erick Kyalo
