xi's moments
Home | Africa

African Union calls for calm as tension escalates on Kenya-Somali border

By Otiato Opali in Nairobi, Kenya | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2021-01-27 20:09

Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, speaks during the opening ceremony of the 29th ordinary session of the African Union (AU) summit in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, on July 3, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

The African Union yesterday raised concern over rising tensions at the border between Kenya and Somalia and has called for dialogue to de-escalate the tension. The fighting arose between Somali National Forces and regional Jubbaland fighters, which Somalia claims have been trained in Kenya.

African Union Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat called on both sides to de-escalate tensions and use multilateral channels to voice their complaints. He also urged neighboring countries to exercise restraint in their response to the situation.

"I'm following the tensions on the Kenya-Somalia border with concern, and urge the two neighbors to exercise restraint and engage in dialogue in conformity with the IGAD-led process. Peace on the Kenya-Somalia border is vital to regional stability," Mahamat said, referring to the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, an eight-country trade bloc in Africa.

Heavy fighting broke out Sunday night in a Somali town near the Kenyan border between Somali forces and those from the state of Jubbaland. Osman Abokor Dubbe, Somalia's information minister, later accused Kenya of funding rebels who crossed into the town of Bulo Hawo and attacked Somali forces. He added that some Somali soldiers had been wounded but none killed.

"The Somali national armed forces repelled and ended a dawn raid on Bulo Hawo town by Kenyan-trained rebel militia, which intended to take control of the town. Ordinary militias don't have mortars and missiles. This is proof that Kenya is arming those rebels," Dubbe said.

Speaking on Monday, Fred Matiangi, Kenya's interior minister, said the clashes were related to an internal conflict in Somalia and Kenya has no hand in it.

"We are not involved in it and none of our forces has crossed the border to go to Somalia," Matiangi said. In a statement released by its foreign affairs ministry, Kenya said it had raised its concern about the fighting with the African Union continental body.

"Kenya's primary concern is that the renewed fighting engenders large-scale displacement of civilians inside Somalia and increasingly generates large numbers of refugees and asylum seekers to Kenya, therefore aggravating the already dire humanitarian situation in Somalia and in the refugee camps in Kenya," the statement said.

"Kenya is concerned that if the fighting continues unabated, the situation could further destabilize the region, complicate the security situation and reverse the gains made in the fight against terrorism."

The fighting disrupted normal business on the Kenyan side in Mandera county as schools and shops shut for fear of violence.

In November last year Mohamed Ali Nur, Somalia's foreign affairs permanent secretary, announced that his country was recalling its ambassador to Kenya and ordered Kenya's envoy to Mogadishu out of the country. The Horn of Africa nation also has accused Kenya of interfering in the politics of Jubbaland, a semi-autonomous state in Somalia.

Global Edition
BACK TO THE TOP
Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.
License for publishing multimedia online 0108263

Registration Number: 130349