Governor Abdi condemns Banisa attack, condoles with families of 10 killed in retaliatory attack

WAJIR—Governor Mohamed Abdi becomes first leader to condemn suspected retaliatory dawn attack on a village in Banisa sub-County, Mandera County. He similarly condoled with the families affected by the attack.

Reacting to the bloodshed where ten people are feared dead following the attack by suspected clan militias,  governor Mohamed Abdi termed the attack “cowardly” and called on the locals to give the security agencies space to probe the incident while challenging the leader to do more.

“I strongly condemn the senseless killing of nine innocent pastoralists, at their nomadic residence, in Banisa of Mandera County by unknown gun men who raided them at the wee hours of last night,” Governor Mohamed said in a Facebook post on Wednesday evening.

While speaking to Kulan Post, the head of the Mandera county security team said the attack was carried out by members of one of the clans residing in the area.

“The attack is by men from around this area,” Mandera County Commissioner Onesmus Kathya said.

Doomal is inhabited by the Garre clan. The dawn attack left an eight-month old child dead as well four women and five men.

According to the North Eastern Mohamed Regional Commissioner Mohmmed Birik, the attack was a retaliation of another one that had happened in Ethiopia where two people were killed and 100 camels stolen.

He said armed militia from one clan raided Doomal village at dawn killing the victims on the spot.

“Mine is to call for calm as the government apprehends those behind the attack,” Birik said at his office in Garissa.

Governor Mohamed Abdi urged the security agencies to “apprehend the heartless bandits with speed, arrest and subject them to the full force of the  law.”