A recent outbreak of violence in Wajir County has resulted in the deaths of at least 30 people, with 13 others seriously wounded. According to a senior government official, the deadly clash occurred between the heavily armed Degodia and Garre militia in a village in Tarbaj, Wajir County.
The incident has renewed hostilities between the two rival Somali clans, whose latest disagreement was sparked off a month ago over a dispute regarding a 3-kilometer border stretch. The epicenter of the fierce fight between the two militia groups is a place called Kulani by the Garre and Gunani by the Degodia.
Tarbaj Deputy County Commissioner David Rotich confirmed the incident, stating that twenty of those killed were combatants from both sides in the conflict. Rotich noted that the fighting began at around 6:30 am on Sunday and was the deadliest confrontation since the conflict broke out in Wajir between the two clans on April 15.
Rotich also stated that eight of those injured in the conflict were rushed to Takaba district hospital, while five others were taken to Tarbaj district hospital for treatment. He suspected that those admitted to the hospital with injuries were likely members of the fighters, as civilians were not expected to be in the deserted village at the time.
The latest death toll brings the total number of those killed in the inter-clan feuds between Degodia and Garre to 70, according to a Kenya Red Cross official in Wajir County. Currently, over 12,000 families who are internally displaced due to the ongoing conflict are living in IDP camps in Tarbaj and Bulla Hodthan in squalid conditions, with several primary and secondary schools closed.
National Assembly Leader of Majority Aden Duale sent a condolence message to the bereaved and urged leaders to seek long-lasting peace. Duale stated, 'We must not shed blood of our people. The political and religious leadership from North Eastern must come together and preach peace among the warring clans. The Government security agencies must move with speed to provide security to the affected areas.'
A fellow Somali MP, who requested anonymity, criticized Duale's priorities, saying, 'Duale is a busy man in Nairobi, he has taken over the role of a Raila abuser in chief, he could simply not miss a TV interview to vilify Raila Odinga. Duale is busy serving his secondary masters in Nairobi at the expense of those who elected him.'
The recovered account cited reporting by The Standard.
