This archive report was first published on 16 September 2021.
On June 13, 2021, Mohamed Abdi Barre's life took a dramatic turn when armed men stormed his compound in Mandera South Sub-County, shooting and injuring him before making off with his prized 42 camels.
As he lay recovering in Mandera town, Mr. Barre's thoughts were consumed by the loss of his beloved camels, which he estimated to be worth millions of shillings. A mature camel can fetch up to Sh110,000, while a young one sells for between Sh40,000 and Sh60,000.
Speaking to Nation Africa, a teary-eyed Mr. Barre revealed that he knew the identities of the thieves, who were his neighbors. He pleaded for help to recover his stolen camels, which he believed were taken to Ethiopia from the Wargadud area.
"I know the people who took away my camels. I can identify them even by their names. They are my neighbors," Mr. Barre said.
His plea for help has been echoed by Mandera County Assembly Deputy Speaker Farah Abdinoor, who warned that the loss incurred by Mr. Barre was fueling animosity among the local community.
"It has been three months since bandits stole camels from a family in Wargadud. The local community is becoming impatient, and the national government must step in and save the situation," Mr. Abdinoor said.
He called for a quick solution to the problem, appealing to Mr. Barre's clan not to retaliate the theft but to wait for government action.
"I am appealing to the affected family and community not to take the law into their own hands but allow government agencies to do their work," Mr. Abdinoor said.
