Somalia threat: Kenya strengthens security

  1. Posted on Thursday 25 June 2009 - 14:00
    Adhiambo Ogwell
    Image of Adhiambo Ogwell
    Linda Adhiambo Ogwell, AfricaNews reporter in Nairobi, Kenya
    Kenya's President Mwai Kibaki has met the country's top most security organ in a bid to review threats against the country by the recent outbreak of violence in Somalia. During the meeting, the security body was asked to tighten national security control and strengthen vigilance along border points.
    mwai_kibaki
    The governments’ official position has been that it would not attack Somalia or deploy troops across the borders.

    The Nairobi security meeting was highly guarded because of the sensitivity of the issues discussed.

    Last Sunday, Somali’s militia group, Al–Shabaab, issued a warning that it would attack Nairobi, Kenya’s capital, if it interfered in the countries crisis or gave any form of assistance to its current government headed by President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.

    “If you attack us we will launch suicide attack and destroy the glass buildings of Nairobi” threatened the group’s spokesperson in Kismayu.

    On Monday, Kenya called on the Inter-governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) that incorporates horn of Africa countries namely; Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Uganda and Sudan to consider sending troops to the war torn country that has not had peace since 1991.

    According to the Kenya police , Al Shabaab carried out kidnappings in the north eastern side of Kenya last year and a number of bomb making materials were found in towns there raising speculations that they were smuggled there with the intentions to carry out attacks.

    The militia group has been linked to Al-Queda and sources at the Kenyan police say that it could be a matter of time before they commit atrocities.

    In the recent month, the expatriate circles in Nairobi have been flooded of security alerts and romours of attacked by Somali militias.

    Kenya has been a victim of terrorism twice, the major one being in its capital Nairobi, in 1998, where over 200 people were killed and score of others injured.

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