Following renewed inter-clan clashes along Kenya -Ethiopia border, security agencies from both countries have early this week organized a peace meeting with the warring clans to discuss on a long term solutions to security crisis in the area.
The fresh skirmishes between Garre and Degodia clans broke out last week in Guba area Mandera North, where 12 people lost their lives and several seriously injured, while hundreds of residents fled their homes.
It was the latest violent attack in a series of clashes that have broken out at the border point, mainly involving rival tribal communities competing for access to pasture and water rights.
Mandera County is mostly inhabited by nomadic communities and it has witnessed a spate of ethnic clashes that stem from competition for grazing land, water access points, and ethnic territorial boundaries.
The extensive engagement between Ethiopia-Kenya administration and the local political leaders has come up with number of recommendations requiring both countries to forward those responsible for the recent killings as well as administrative units in border point to share intelligence information related to security matters.
Mandera Governor, Ali Roba, said these recommendations will help in fostering peace and inter-community peace building.
“This is the first of such engagement to try and improve on inter-community peace building in the area, we are very happy we have arrived to resolutions that will help our communities co-exist on both sides of the common borders,” said Roba.
Banisa Sub-county Deputy Commissioner, Mr Peter Lotulia, stated that it was a unique engagement and he is optimistic that it will yield fruits. He added that peace engagement and consultation will be held regularly between the warring communities even in times of peace.
Ethiopian security agencies agreed to organize a peaceful meeting in Hawassa where the recent conflict originated before it spilled out to Mandera Kenya.
The meeting was held at Banisa, Mandera County and among those who attended were Mandera county Senator Mohamed Maalim, Mandera North Member of Parliament, Abdullahi Bashir Sheikh and administrators from Hawassa in Ethiopia.
By Charles Matacho
