Kenya bears brunt of terror attacks
What you need to know:
- Ethiopia, like Kenya, also has troops fighting Al-Shabaab inside Somalia but the terrorist group has never carried out a successful attack on Ethiopian soil.
- Despite having a longer common border with Somalia, Ethiopia has managed to keep the terrorists from crossing its borders.
Among the three countries that border war-torn Somalia, only Kenya has borne the brunt of terrorist attacks since its soldiers embarked on a mission to root out Al-Shabaab from Somalia in 2011.
According to a timeline published by the Nation yesterday, Al-Shabaab has been attacking Kenyan targets on average once a month. Some of the attacks in far-flung border counties like Mandera, Wajir, Lamu and Garissa are low level, meaning they are not always brought to the attention of the public.
Ethiopia, like Kenya, also has troops fighting Al-Shabaab inside Somalia but the terrorist group has never carried out a successful attack on Ethiopian soil.
However, Ethiopia has been alive to the possibility of an attack and has put in place measures to prevent an incursion into its territory.
On October 17, last year, after the US embassy in Addis Ababa warned of an impending Al-Shabaab attack, a top Foreign Ministry official told envoys: “We would like to assure our diplomatic community in Addis that we are taking every step that Al-Shabaab will not have foothold, not only in the city but also in this country.”
The expected attack never happened.
ETHIOPIA BORDER
According to the Encyclopaedia of Nations, Ethiopia’s border with Somalia stretches for 1,626 kilometres, compared with Kenya’s 682 kilometres. Despite having a longer common border with Somalia, Ethiopia has managed to keep the terrorists from crossing its borders.
Interviews with journalists from the border counties of Mandera, Garissa, Lamu, Wajir and Marsabit have indicated a strong presence of Al-Shabaab in many of these regions. However, the public has remained reluctant to report suspects largely because they fear reprisal attacks should their identity be revealed.
There have also been indications that although police officers on the Kenyan side of the border earn on average higher salaries than their Ethiopian counterparts, Kenyan officers are more likely to turn a blind eye to allow entry into the country of contraband goods and undocumented individuals from Somalia.
One journalist intimated that the number one criteria for one to be hired into the Ethiopian police force is a willingness to dedicate himself or herself to serve his country for specified period after which they would be free to pursue their other interests. In Kenya, however, it is not unheard of for candidates seeking to be recruited into the police service to bribe their way in.
