Hiiraan Online
Saturday, May 16, 2015
MANDERA (HOL) ---Despite public frustrations, the Kenyan government has extended a curfew it imposed on Mandera, a northeastern town for one more month after numerous deadly attacks by the Al-Qaeda linked group in Somalia which killed at least 147 people at a university in Garissa last month.
The government has imposed a one month curfew on Mandera and Tana River region after the university attack which sent shockwaves across the East African nation which sent troops to Somalia to fight
Al-Shabab which was blamed for spate of kidnappings In Kenya.
The curfew on Somali-predominant region usually starts around 6:30 as soldiers patrol the streets that often remain deserted until 6:30am, increasing pressure on Somalis in the region that recently became a
hotbed for militants' attacks.
The Garissa University attack by gunmen was the deadliest assault by Al-Shabab in Kenya. The group also killed at least 67 in an attack on the upscale Westgate mall in Nairobi last year.
However, the curfew extension by the Kenyan government seems to be an unwelcome move as the residents in northeastern province accused the government of alienation and business sabotage, an accusation dismissed by the government which is struggling to prevent further attacks by Al-Shabab.
As parts of its anti-militants initiative, Kenya has started building a separation wall along the porous border with Somalia to prevent militants from crossing into Kenya, however, Somali president Kenya not to build which it believes would hinder business movements between the two countries.
The terrorist attacks in Kenya also mounted pressure on Somalis in Kenya who were subject to frequent crackdowns and arrests by Kenya forces who were criticized for human rights violations.
Kenya also ordered the closure of the world's largest refugee camp in Kenya and the repatriation of Somalis in the camp, however, after diplomatic pressure and visit by the secretary of state John Kerry,
president Uhuru Kenyatta softened his stance and affirmed his government not expel Somalis from Kenya.