Tension at Kenya-Ethiopia Border as Militia Attack Leaves Several Dead
An unspecified number of people lost their lives on Saturday evening following an ambush by suspected Ethiopian militia in Todonyang, Turkana County, near the Kenya-Ethiopia border.
The attack, reportedly carried out by armed members of the Dassanech community, targeted Turkana fishermen on Lake Turkana near River Omo.
According to sources, the assailants opened fire indiscriminately on the unsuspecting fishermen. Authorities have yet to confirm the exact number of casualties, though some reports estimate the death toll to be over a dozen.
On Sunday, the National Police Service announced that it was investigating “an alleged clash between Turkana and Dassanech fishermen at Lopemukat Common Waters” along the border. Meanwhile, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen acknowledged the incident, confirming that “some Kenyans were harmed.”
“Some of our citizens are unaccounted for, and we are working with the Ethiopian government and the Kenya Defence Forces to resolve this border issue. There should be no cause for alarm… calm has returned in the area,” Murkomen assured.
Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo clarified that the attack took place on the Ethiopian side of the border. He urged the public to disregard speculative figures regarding the casualties.
“Ignore the numbers being peddled; that is not the correct position,” Omollo stated. “We will share official information once we confirm everything.”
Reports suggest that the attack may have been in retaliation for an earlier incident on Saturday morning, in which suspected Turkana bandits allegedly shot and killed Dassanech fishermen from Ethiopia near River Omo.
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Tension at Kenya-Ethiopia Border as Militia Attack Leaves Several Dead
