Saturday August 6, 2016
President Uhuru Kenyatta (left) arrives in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on August 5, 2016 to attend the 2nd IGAD PLUS Extraordinary Summit. Ethiopian authorities have given Kenya a one-week ultimatum to apprehend a culprit who killed an elder during a church mass at Todonyang, Turkana County. PHOTO | PSCU
Ethiopian authorities have given Kenya a one-week ultimatum to apprehend a culprit who killed an elder during a church mass at Todonyang on Sunday last week.
This comes despite the Dassenech peoples of Ethiopia holding 15 people from Turkana who include six children, five women and a priest in reaction to the killing.
In an August 1 letter sent to Kenyan authorities by vice administrator for Southern Omo zone Ayede Lomodo, the Ethiopians are demanding that Kenya should apprehend the culprit as required by previous peace deals between the pastoralists on the border area.
The letter has been taken to top Turkana County officials including County Commissioner Steven Ikua, Catholic Diocese of Lodwar and Governor Josphat Nanok.
“If this will not happen, we are not going to allow any movement of Turkana to their territory except the priest of Todonyang Mission and his staff. We will also take the case to the International Criminal Court as stipulated in the Ethiopian law,” read the letter.
The South Omo administration claims that so far they have jailed 17 Dassenech men who had killed Turkana.
Peace and Justice advisor for the Catholic Diocese of Lodwar John Webotsa told the Nation the ultimatum expires on Monday, and has appealed to county security team to arrest the culprit and parade him before Ethiopians in Omorate before taking legal action against him.
He said the culprit is known to Turkana administrators and political leaders.
“The Ethiopians only want us to ensure justice for the relatives of the elder killed during a church service,” said Fr Webotsa.
He said the situation could strain relations among the pastoral communities in the two countries with limited water and pasture for their livestock.
Todonyang Catholic School has already been closed.