GARISSA—The cultural leader of the Awliyahan community, Ugaas Hussein, has challenged locals to aid the State in dealing with Al-shabaab menace in the Horn of Africa.
Speaking during a meeting of the Awliyahan community in Garissa town on Sunday, Hussein, who is the former Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Somalia, emphasised the role played by communities in volunteering information on suspected criminals in their midst to security authorities.
The Northeastern counties and Lamu has lately seen an increase in terror-related security challenges posed by the insurgents from neighbouring Somalia.
Ugaas Hussein said gone are days when matters of security were left to the security apparatus alone, saying that it is an issue that affects everyone.
“We are one big community that is spread across Somalia, Kenya, and Ethiopia. I can assure you that if we work closely and share intelligence with our respective security personnel in real time, then some of these attacks that we witnessed would not have occurred. They would be dealt with before they happened,” Hussein said.
Garissa County Peace Chairman, Osman Ibrahim Abdi—who spoke on behalf of the elders—echoed Hussein’s sentiments, saying that insecurity in the County and the region at large can only be addressed through collaboration between wananchi and the security apparatus.
“The threat posed by members of this terror group can and will be easily eliminated if we decide to tackle it head-on; without fear. It has worked before, it can still work, and it will work,” Abdi noted.
Dadaab Member of the County Assembly (MCA), Mohamed Abdi Farah said security can be managed if communities from troubled areas work closely with security apparatus.
“As the affected communities, we have to make sure that we work to maintain our security by remaining alert and sharing actionable intelligence with the security apparatus,” the longest serving MCA in the Garissa assembly, said.
“This is the only way that we will defeat the enemy who have declared a war and are hellbent to wreck havoc and stall all development projects earmarked for the region,” he added.
[Additional reports by KNA]
