Eight feared dead as militia stage another border attack

By Lucas Ng’asike

Eight people are feared dead as suspected Merille militia staged another deadly offensive against villagers in Todonyang along the Kenya-Ethiopia border.

The attack occurred on the shores of Lake Turkana when the Ethiopia Merille militia ambushed residents and shot dead the villagers.

Turkana North OCPD Commander Bernard Nyakwaka confirmed the fighting between the Turkana herders and the Merille Militia.

Mr Nyakwaka said security personnel, including the Rapid Deployment Unit and the General Service Unit, had been dispatched to respond to the attack.

The OCPD said he could not give the number of the casualties as he had not received full details on the incident.

"I cannot confirm the number of those killed and injured. I’m still waiting for security officers to provide the report," Nyakwaka told The Standard On Saturday on phone yesterday.

A security source who did want to be named because he is not authourised to speak to journalists said eight bodies of women were recovered. He said three other people sustained serious injuries.

Among the wounded included a 14-year-old girl and who had been shot in the stomach and another woman shot in the neck.

Source said the injured were between 16 and 28 years old and were taken to Lowarengak Mission Health Centre, about 25km away.

Former Todonyang Councillor Osman Eleman said arrangements were being made for the injured to be taken to Lodwar District Hospital, about 260km away, for specialised treatment.

Mr Eleman said the militia attacked herders and women as they drew water and looked after their animals on the shores of Lake Turkana.

Eleman said the killings occurred near Todonyang Catholic Mission and the GSU security camp. They are suspected to have stolen 200 head of cattle and crossed with them to the Ethiopia Omo Delta villages.

The attack came after the Merille and Turkana community disagreed at a meeting to find truce between the communities living along the border.