Reports Ethiopian troops attacked police station untrue, says Marsabit County commissioner
Marsabit County Commissioner Peter Thuku. He has said reports that Ethiopian troops had taken over Illeret Police Station were untrue. He said the soldiers were doing regular border patrol ahead of elections to be held in Ethiopia later in May. PHOTO | KEN BETT | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Mr Thuku said the soldiers were on a mission to check on their borders ahead of elections to be held at the end of May.
- He said he had been contacted by Ethiopian Regional Commissioner Abale Ayala who was equally shocked by the reports.
- A source told Nation.co.ke that the troops might have been out in search of members of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF).
- Mr Thuku was non-committal on the presence of the group in Sololo.
Marsabit County Commissioner Peter Thuku has refuted claims that 50 Ethiopian troops had taken over Illeret Police Station.
The commissioner, while admitting the presence of the troops in the area, said the soldiers were on a mission to check on their borders ahead of elections to be held at the end of May.
He said the troops held talks with local authorities and asked them not to allow Marsabit residents to cross over to Ethiopia as they were preparing for the elections.
“I’m surprised by reports that Ethiopian troops took over a police station. That is not true. We have very cordial relationship with their government and to say they invaded our country is untrue,” said the commissioner
He said he had been contacted by Ethiopian Regional Commissioner Abale Ayala who was equally shocked by the reports.
Mr Thuku said he had asked his deputies in Moyale and North Horr to convene a meeting with the residents to assure them of their safety because fear had gripped them following the reports.
PURSUING OROMO REBELS
A source told Nation.co.ke that the troops might have been out in search of members of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF).
The source said Ethiopian troops recently stopped a police car on escort before disarming the officers and inspecting them together with occupants of a car belonging to an NGO.
In March, residents of Dambalafachana (DF), Sololo, Anona and Waye-Goda were reportedly said to be living in fear after heavily armed Ethiopian forces crossed the border to hunt down OLF members.
In April, County Police Commander Ben Kogo told Nation that he had convened a security meeting between the security, elders from DF, Sololo, Anona and Waye-Goda to deliberate on the issue that had was causing tension among the residents.
It was not immediately clear whether the April 7 meeting took.
OLF has been fighting the Ethiopian government since 1993 in an effort to achieve autonomy for the Oromo people living in Southern Ethiopia.
Nation.co.ke has also learnt that residents of Sololo were denied electricity connection by the Ethiopian government because of the suspicion that they were hiding OLF rebels in the area.
Mr Thuku was non-committal on the presence of the group in Sololo.
He however confirmed that Ethiopian troops had recently pursued OLF in Bory Location, Moyale Sub-County.
