Mandera, Kenya, Sept 7 – Tensions are running high in the northeastern Kenyan town of Mandera following protests by residents against the alleged presence of armed forces from Somalia’s Jubaland administration within Kenyan territory.
Local communities around Border Point One (BP1), a town on the Kenya-Somalia border, claim that Jubaland forces have occupied farmland and strategic positions in the area for more than 30 days, forcing dozens of families to flee their homes.
Fatuma Abdullahi Hussein, a resident of the affected area, told reporters that her family had been displaced to Suftu, a town across the border in Ethiopia, due to fears of violence. Another resident, Habiba Alasow Maow, said her children had been unable to attend school since the troops arrived, citing insecurity.
The deputy county commissioner of Mandera, Solomon Chepotone, denied the presence of foreign troops in the region. However, local leaders insist the armed personnel are not part of Kenyan security forces and are calling for their immediate withdrawal.
Senator Ali Roba accused the troops of violating Kenya’s territorial sovereignty and warned that the situation was affecting local education and trade. “This is a breach of our border and a threat to our people,” he said during a press briefing earlier this week.
Former Chief Justice David Maraga and Mandera Governor Mohamed Adan Khalif also voiced alarm, with Khalif claiming that a local school had been turned into a military base, displacing pupils.
The Kenyan Ministry of Interior has yet to issue a conclusive statement on the matter.
