NAIROBI– Cabinet Secretary for Defence Aden Duale has urged North Eastern leaders and residents to collectively unite in the war against Al-Shabaab militant group.
The CS highlighted that their is need for united front confront with the extremist group who have been wrecking havoc in Northern Kenya counties and parts of Lamu in the Coast province in recent months.
“I would like to call upon communities living in five counties of the Arid and Semi -arid regions to combine their efforts to deal with Al-Shabab scourge.” said the CS.
He acknowledged that Al-Shabab operatives have fled the ongoing operations by the Somali Federal government and its international partners and are attempting to infiltrate into the country through the porous borders thus posing serious security threat to the people.
“You know these militias who are on the run want to enter the country through our borders and cause destability in the country.” said Duale.
The CS underscored that the Kenya government will not tolerate and condone the activities of the Al-Shabab militant group reiterating that the security apparatus will deal with the insurgents accordingly.
“The Kenya government is on the watch out and will combat and counter with terrorism in any parts of our soil with full force” he asserted.
His remarks comes amid incessant hit and run attacks by the Al-qaeda affiliate group in Northern counties and Lamu town where several people have been killed including security officers and property destroyed.
This evens as the CS outlined that Kenyan troops serving under the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) are set to formally exit Somalia by December 2024.
In a recent interview with one of the mainstream media in the country, Duale emphasized that the Kenya government is withdrawing the soldiers since they have “accomplished ” their mandate in Somalia disclosing that it is not KDF forces who are leaving but forces serving under the ATMIS umbrella.
“We are coming out of Somalia because the UN, AU and Somali government felt they have generated enough forces. The Somali national army is ready to protect their country,” said Duale.
The Kenya government deployed it’s troops in Somalia in 2011 in an operation dubbed ” Linda Nchi” but the forces joined the UN peace keeping forces.
Somalia government force are slated to take over security responsibilities from the ATMIS troops in line with the UN resolution.
KDF has since handed over several Forward Operating Bases (FOB) to the Somali National Army in Kismayo town, Jubbaland State.
