Kenya: Officials held captive by militants

  1. Posted on Wednesday 25 March 2009 - 23:49
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    Jack Shaka, AfricaNews reporter in Nairobi, Kenya
    Kenyan government officials have been kidnapped by a Somali militia group in Mandera, North Eastern part of Kenya. The group intends to have them face trial according to a source. They claimed the Kenyans crossed the border to Somalia without permission. Mandera town is on the border with Somalia.
    kenya map
    The town in the past has been a transit route for lots of refugees from Somalia.

    The five officials were attending a primary school tournament in the town when they were abducted in Bula Hawo town which is next to Mandera where they were shopping.

    “From the investigations that are still going on, we established they are education officials,” said Ahmed Mohamed Barkuus; the governor of Bula Hawo.

    He informed the press that security in the area is done by the militia.

    “They are the ones who are concerned with the security of the town... they are investigating the case,” he said.

    The Kenyan police forces are doing what they can to secure their release.

    The militia is part of an extremist group, Al-Shabaab, an extremist group with links to Osama Bin Laden. It has lots of influence in Somalia, and is opposed to President Sheikh Shariff Ahmed.

    The police have so far kept the families of the abducted abreast with what is happening.

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