Mandera Governor Mohamed Adan Khalif has revealed that 60 per cent of the county is under the control of Al-Shabaab militants.
According to Mohamed, the militants’ presence has impacted how services are delivered across the country. He spoke at a security meeting where leaders called for coordinated action to combat the terrorist during an upsurge in the North Eastern region by Al-Shabaab.
Regional commissioners and members of the county intelligence committees from the four counties that border Kenya and Somalia attended the security meeting. The increased frequency of attacks by Al-Shabaab was discussed by leaders from areas affected by terror attacks.
In addition to developing resolutions on how to combat Al-Shabaab, the meeting, according to the leadership of the counties of Mandera, Wajir, Garissa, and Lamu, also called for community sensitization to weed out elements that support the terrorist group.
Mandera County Governor Mohamed Khalif has called on the residents of his county to help his government in securing the region, which shares borders with Somalia.
He emphasized that the fight against al-Shabaab would only be successful if proper structures and coordination are put in place among all residents.
Khalif made the remarks during a joint consultative meeting with his counterparts from Wajir, Garissa, and Lamu, as well as security agencies.
The meeting, themed “Rethinking Security Approaches,” comes at a crucial time when these borderland counties are aligning with national security efforts to implement development programs.
The governor urged citizens to actively share information to combat these security threats, emphasizing that the cooperation of all residents is essential in securing the region. Governor Ahmed Abdullahi of Wajir echoed Khalif’s sentiments and urged residents to follow the example of what is happening in Somalia and take responsibility for driving out these militants themselves.
The meeting was an opportunity for the leaders to discuss common security concerns in the region and explore ways to address them. They recognized that the four counties, due to their proximity to Somalia, face heightened insecurity from the terror group al-Shabaab.
During the meeting, the leaders emphasized the importance of providing human rights compliance training to security personnel to minimize violations of human rights in their operations. The initiative stemmed from discussions among political leaders about common security concerns in the region.
The leaders also recognized the need to address the root causes of insecurity, such as poverty and unemployment, through the implementation of development programs.
They pledged to work together to ensure that the region is secure and that development programs are implemented effectively.
