Borana, Turkana, Somalis clash in Kenya; 12 killed

[anonymousfaarax]

Kenyan pastoralist clashes kill 12 over two days


ISIOLO, Kenya (Reuters) - Fighting between pastoralists over grazing land in drought-ravaged northern Kenya killed five people on Saturday, officials said, the latest in a string of deadly clashes this year.

Cattle rustling and clashes over grazing land and water are relatively common among pastoralist communities in the dry patches of east Africa and often escalate into revenge attacks.

Witnesses said several grass-thatched houses were burned in fighting between the Borana and Somali ethnic communities against the Turkana on the outskirts of the northern town of Isiolo.

The fighting has forced hundreds of families to flee the villages and grazing areas around Isiolo, home to four military camps Kenya is using in its cross-border military operations against Somalia.

Police commander Augustine Nthumbi said five people were killed in fighting on Saturday, and seven people were killed the previous day in similar ethnic clashes in the neighbouring Samburu district. Last week another seven people were killed in Marrum village, 25 km (15 miles) away from Isiolo.

"We have deployed a strong team of security officers to the affected areas ... and we hope to contain the situation but we expect the local leaders to help us too," Nthumbi said.

The clashes have disrupted the flow of goods from Kenya's capital city Nairobi to southern Ethiopia.

Fighting over cattle, land and water in arid northern Kenya has increased dramatically in recent months and aid agencies predict the situation is likely to worsen as the drought persists.

[Lamagoodle]

Is this story true? Somalis don't graze on the outskirts of isiolo! That is Borana territory; Somali nomads don't go beyong Garba Tula which is far away!!!!!

Somalis in Isiolo are usually urban merchants.
In addition, the story claims that the Boranas and the somalis united against the Turkana. Turkanas and somalis ????

[AbdiWahab252]

Lamgoodle,

The drought has forced nomads to seeking grazing land past their traditional boundaries and thus the clashes.

[Lamagoodle]

Lamgoodle,

The drought has forced nomads to seeking grazing land past their traditional boundaries and thus the clashes.

Abdiwahab, I see. But, Turkana country is very far; to the west of the Boranas.

[barakaboy10]

these people fought during happy times so why shouldn't i expect them to fight now!!!

these badawi people would massacre each other for a single cow so it's not even worth talking about them.

[Lamagoodle]

these people fought during happy times so why shouldn't i expect them to fight now!!!

these badawi people would massacre each other for a single cow so it's not even worth talking about them.

The cow is an important animal in that part of the world;
You drink its milk
Makes hides from its skin
Eat its meat
Give its testicle (if you can't find that of a man) as a present to your father in law so that he can put some tobacco in it.

Here is a somali saying;

Aakhiro nimaan geel lahayn lama amaaneeynin;

Aduunyo nimaan lo' lahayn magac malaha

[ina aadan]

Somalis ilaa ay bada west-Africa ina soo celiso waynu socon isha alaah.