Kenya says troops to continue with pacification in Somalia

Kenya says troops to continue with pacification in Somalia

'SOME OF THE FOREIGNERS ARE SAID TO HAVE MOVED CLOSE TO
PUNTLAND IN SEARCH FOR SAFETY AND SOME HAVE EVEN EXPRESSED
INTENT TO ABANDON THE FIGHT AGAINST KDF AND AMSOM'

SPECIAL REPORT BY XINHUA CORRESPONDENTS
CHRISPINUS OMAR AND RONALD NJOROGE

NAIROBI (Xinhua) -- Kenyan troops battling Somali militants have vowed to continue with pacification of liberated areas in southern Somalia as they await deployment in various parts of the Horn of Africa nation next week.

Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) Director of Operations Information Colonel Cyrus Oguna told journalists in Nairobi on Saturday the soldiers will continue with pacification efforts even in areas where the Al-Shabaab has lost control as there are still remnants who are out to disrupt peace and cause disharmony between KDF and the local community.

"Pockets of Al-Shabaab managed to carry out attacks about 15 km from the common border of Kenya and Somalia even as the troops have advanced close to 100 km inside Somalia," he told journalists.


The military officer said the Kenyan troops who launched cross border military operation in October last year are still in the transition phase despite joining AMISOM, three weeks ago, after the UN Security Council endorsed the re-hating move.

Oguna said on March 5, KDF ground troops carried out attacks on Al-Shabaab positions in Gerille town which is located close to the common Somalia Kenya border.
"In the process three Al-Shabaab were killed and five rifles recovered from the militants," he added.

On the same day, he said, KDF troops sunk a ship with four militia on board.

"They were challenged to stop but KDF disabled the ship which later sunk," he said.
Oguna said that in the Afmadow area KDF troops, during a regular patrol arrested four Al-Shabaab members and several ammunition and equipment from the movement were recovered.

He added that Tuesday’s air strike by KDF on the town of Hayo killed several Al-Shabaab fighters and in the process four technicals were destroyed.

He said that on Wednesday, KDF raided the town of Diff which is close to Kenyan border and resulted in the death of two Al-Shabaab.

Oguna said that last Thursday attacks on the town close to Afmadow, which served as an Al-Shabaab base, they recovered several food items including rice, beans and cooking oil.

"On Thursday six militants also defected from the movement," he said.

He said that even as KDF has rehatted, they are still in the aggressive pursuit of Al-Shabaab.

The development came as the African Union is due to launch a new integrated military strategy to fight the insurgents who have since teamed up with Al-Qaida network to carry out further terror attacks in East Africa.

Defence ministers and military officers from the six East African countries met in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Friday on the proposed new approach in tackling the Islamic insurgency in the Horn of Africa nation.

Oguna said the meeting is expected to fine tune details of the Kenyan troops re-hatting into African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).

"KDF will release details in the course of next week on the exact command structure and deployment locations," Oguna said six months after Kenyan troops entered Somalia.

He said that KDF is considering rotating its troops that will serve under AMISOM after every three or four months so that they have a chance of visiting their families back home.

"We also hope to change the current KDF troops who have been in Somalia since October last and inject new troops within three months.

"The official handing over of KDF into AMISOM will soon take place," the military official said.

The East African nation which is onslaught on the insurgents in southern part of the Horn of Africa nation requested to integrated its armed force with the AU-green-bereted AMISOM peacekeepers.

"We cannot predict how long KDF will stay in Somalia under AMISOM even after the expiry of the AMISOM mandate in Oct.31, as the decision will be made by African Union," Oguna told journalists.

He said if the United Nations approves a peace keeping force, the length of the stay of Kenyan troops is not definitive and could reach up to three years.

"The African Union will have the ultimate say depending on the situation on the ground. Even if the KDF stays in Somalia for a lengthy period they will be under AMISOM or the UN so the issue of Kenya as an occupation force will not arise," Oguna said.

Sources say the military strategy being drafted by the regional countries would task each country with different zones with the aim of avoiding contradictions in the military interventions.

Oguna also said that intelligence showed that Al-Shabaab is at its lowest ebb which has resulted in disagreements between local and foreign fighters.

"Some of the foreigners are said to have moved close to Puntland in search for safety and some have even expressed intent to abandon the fight against KDF and AMSOM," he said.

"For us it is a good sign and we hope that the militants will leave Somalia in order to guarantee safety of Kenya," Oguna said.

He said that KDF on Friday sent a delegation to AMISOM base in Mogadishu in order to discuss operations as Kenya still has a stake in what is happening in Mogadishu.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs Deputy Director of Horn of Africa Division Lindsay Kiptiness said that he UN will decide from what date they will begin to reimburse Kenya for military equipment in use in Somalia.

The pan African body has demanded a more coordinated and centrally commanded troops operation in Somalia against Al-Shabaab which is in its weakest position since September last year due to the deteriorating humanitarian crisis and internal divisions in its leadership.

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