Kenya Seeks Cooperation With Marehan, A Somali Border Clan To Boost Security

Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery during the opening of Kenya-Somalia reconciliation meeting in Nairobi on April

Kenya Seeks Cooperation With Marehan, A Somali Border Clan To Boost Security

Kenya-Somalia security border wall construction is ongoing as planned, Interior Cabinet Joseph Nkaissery confirmed on Sunday 24^th April 2016 at a meeting with Somali local leaders in Nairobi.

The meeting is aimed at seeking cooperation in matters security with Somali border clans.

Kenya government launched a multipronged approach tactics to fight terror by working closely with clans in bordering Kenya and especially Somalia’s Marehan community.

Kenya is seeking the much needed cooperation between the Somali community across the border citing their involvement especially in intelligence gathering and provision is key in dealing with insecurity.

Severally, locals have been resisting KDF operations in Somalia based on clan rivalry between Marehan and Ogaden.

CS Nkaissery stressed that the construction of the security border wall will continue but assured Somalis that it’s purely to check Al-Shabaab incursion and not to restrict the local resident’s movements.

“There will be entry points where officials from both countries will be stationed to allow free movement,” the minister clarified.

The CS spoke at a three day joint conference between the Marehan and Kenyan government in Nairobi’s Westlands. The conference was attended by three former Somali prime ministers, MPs, Cabinet ministers, businessmen and scholars. The conference is expected to end Tuesday.

COOPERATION

On his part, the Former Somali Prime Minister Said Abdi Shirdon while addressing the conference maintained that the cooperation between the Somali community across the border and the Kenyan government is key in dealing with insecurity, especially terrorism, and also for development.

“The conference is aimed at building trust and confidence between Marehans and the Kenyan communities along our common border and foster peace, security and development,” he said.