500 died in clashes, says agency
Members of the Orma community attend a peace meeting on December 22, 2012 in Kipao, in the Tana delta region. Inter-community conflicts left 491 people dead last year, a report released by a United Nations agency indicates. The conflicts, according to the UN Office for Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), left another 1,235 people injured while 47,050 were displaced from their homes. PHOTO/FILE
What you need to know:
- The clashes were sparked by competition for political positions and other resources, according to the report.
- Although fighting may have subsided, issues that led to the violence in Tana River, Marsabit and Mandera counties remain unresolved.
- Despite the suffering and the highest number of deaths, Tana River had no displacement, according to the report. Massive displacement, the report notes, were in Moyale, where 40,000 people in a population of about 80,000 fled violence that left 15 people dead. Most of them went to live with their relatives in Ethiopia.
Inter-community conflicts left 491 people dead last year, a report released by a United Nations agency indicates.
The conflicts, according to the UN Office for Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), left another 1,235 people injured while 47,050 were displaced from their homes.
The clashes were sparked by competition for political positions and other resources, according to the report.
Although fighting may have subsided, issues that led to the violence in Tana River, Marsabit and Mandera counties remain unresolved.
The Impacts of Inter-communal Conflicts report says those counties were the worst affected.
The UN agency, whose mandate is to strengthen response to complex emergencies and natural disasters, released the report on Tuesday.
INCITEMENT BY POLITICIANS
Leaders in the affected areas have been accusing the government of failing to stop the killings.
In Tana River, 222 people died in ethnic clashes, the report indicates. The Pokomos, who are farmers, and their pastoralist neighbours, the Orma, engaged in deadly violence that ended before the last General Election.
The violence was blamed on incitement by politicians.
Despite the suffering and the highest number of deaths, Tana River had no displacement, according to the report.
In Moyale, Marsabit County, the Gabra and their allies from Burji ethnic group fought gun battles with the Borana.
The fighting started after the latter lost seats in the General Election to those from a political group known as Regabu (Rendile, Gabras and Burji).
Clashes also occurred in Turkana and West Pokot. Thirty four people died in skirmishes between Turkanas and Pokots on the one hand, and between the Merille and the Toposa from Ethiopia and South Sudan, respectively, on the other.
Massive displacement, the report notes, were in Moyale, where 40,000 people in a population of about 80,000 fled violence that left 15 people dead. Most of them went to live with their relatives in Ethiopia.
Some 2,000 were displaced in Baringo where pastoralists have been fighting over pasture and water points.
