Kenyan Troops Enter Somalia!

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Kenyan Troops Enter Somalia to Chase Kidnappers

16 October 2011

Kenyan troops have crossed the border into Somalia to attack Islamist Shebab rebels they accuse of being behind recent kidnappings of foreigners, officials said Sunday.

Several witnesses reported heavy troop movement in Kenya's border regions, with truckloads of soldiers heading towards the frontier as military planes and helicopters overhead.

On Saturday Kenyan Internal Security Minister George Saitoti branded Somalia's Al-Qaeda-inspired Al-Shebab rebels "the enemy" and vowed to attack them "wherever they will be".

French woman Marie Dedieu was kidnapped from a beach resort 13 days ago, following a similar kidnapping of British woman Judith Tebbutt, while two female Spanish aid workers were seized by gunmen on Thursday.

Kenya already backs anti-Shebab and pro-government militia groups in Somali border regions in an attempt to create a buffer zone from hostile armed groups.

On Saturday, troops from Somalia's Western-backed government and allied militia wrested control of the Shebab-held town of Qoqani in the Lower Juba region on the Kenyan border.

Although Kenya blames the abductions on al Shebab, experts say the kidnappings could also be the work of pirates, bandits or criminal gangs.

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Kenyan military moves to neutralize al shabaab threat video

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Troops Off to War

John Ngirachu
15 October 2011

Nairobi — The Kenya military has been ordered into action to stop al Shabaab militia from further threatening the country's security and economy.

At a press briefing on Saturday, the country's top security chiefs declared war on the terrorist organisation operating from Somalia and said Kenyan security forces will henceforth pursue the aggressors across the border.

"The Kenyan Government has decided to take robust measures to protect and preserve the integrity of the country and the national economy and security," said a joint statement read by Internal Security minister Prof George Saitoti.

He was accompanied by Defence minister Yusuf Haji. Military sources told the Sunday Nation that troops and military hardware had been mobilised to go after the rag tag militia across the border.

Army trucks

The Sunday Nation also learnt that a convoy of army trucks left Nanyuki for Moyale in the morning on Saturday, with the Engineering Unit based there also said to be headed in the same direction as another unit left for Wajir.

Additional war planes were deployed from the Laikipia Air Base to reinforce others that have been in the area for the past one week.

There were reports on Saturday evening that navy soldiers on patrol near Lamu had "taken out" two speedboats carrying combatants who defied orders to stop.

A separate air attack on a village in Ras Kamboni not far from the Kenya-Somalia border thought to have been carried out by American forces was also reported.
Although Kenya's armed forces are said to be among the most professionally run in Africa, they have never gone to war in the region and this will be the first time they will go after foreign combatants who have threatened Kenya's territorial integrity.

The ministers said the movement of al Shabaab closer to the Kenyan border had brought with it the risk of terrorist attacks on Kenyan soil and asked citizens to be vigilant.

Prof Saitoti gave a chronology of provocative actions by the militia, including the killing of a tourist in Lamu, and abductions of tourists and humanitarian aid workers.

The minister said the government had taken specific measures to enhance security for its citizens and visitors.

The steps include increased surveillance at the Coast and border points with special emphasis on tourist locations, additional boats patrolling the Indian Ocean and the adoption of a joint plan with hotels to enhance response to any threats.

Prof Saitoti said Kenya had a right to self-defence, adding that the Constitution and the UN Charter were clear on the defence of borders.
"We are ready to take any necessary action to preserve our territorial integrity," Prof Saitoti declared.

He said the government had invoked Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, which pronounces self-defence as an inherent right, meaning the country can do whatever is necessary to keep its borders secure.

"If you are attacked by an enemy, you have the right to pursue that enemy right where he is ... they (al Shabaab) will be pursued," Mr Haji said.

"The military is capable of dealing with any situation on the border. We are prepared to take you to go and see that the army is prepared to keep al Shabaab away from our border," said Mr Haji.

The minister said Kenya plans to establish a homeland security outfit to better protect her interests.

Prof Saitoti said Somali refugees at Dadaab camp would be subjected to screening as there are suspected al Shabaab sympathisers residing there. There are currently 525,000 refugees in the camp, making it the biggest in the world.
"We have now closed the border, and we have no apology as far as that is concerned," the minister said.

Intelligence officers were following up reports of Kenyan youth being recruited by the al Shabaab, which is said to have widened its operations base upcountry.

It is understood that the military intends to move into Somalia and create a buffer zone with the lawless country to avoid cross-border incursions by the militia that is linked to the al Qaeda terrorist network.

Military sources traced the upsurge in militia activity to August 12, 2011 when al Shabaab vanished from Mogadishu overnight, following a sustained assault by Unisom forces and those of the Somalia Transitional Government.

"Some of them moved towards the north but a majority moved southwards towards the Kenyan border," the source said.

Since then militia members have been involved in attacks on Kenyan security personnel in Mandera and other border towns, including the abduction of two Kenyan soldiers.

The ministers spoke ahead of a meeting with the Defence and Foreign Relations Committee of Parliament tomorrow, which is concerned about the increased insecurity at the border.

Article 51 of the UN Charter says: "Nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defence if an armed attack occurs against a Member of the United Nations, until the Security Council has taken measures necessary to maintain international peace and security.

"Measures taken by Members in the exercise of this right of self-defence shall be immediately reported to the Security Council and shall not in any way affect the authority and responsibility of the Security Council under the present Charter to take at any time such action as it deems necessary in order to maintain or restore international peace and security."

Additional reporting by Mwangi Ndirangu

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Kenya: Forces Go After Raiders Inside Somalia

Fred Mukinda and agencies
16 October 2011

Kenyan forces were on Sunday operating deep inside Somalia with orders to make sure there are no al Shabaab extremists within 100 kilometres of the border.

Units from the Kenya Army are understood to have crossed into Somalia at Liboi and Mandera with orders to fight their way into the lawless country and create a buffer zone to ensure that insurgents do not launch attacks against Kenya.

Kenya Air Force and the Navy will be sent out as the need arises, security sources told the Nation.

Soldiers actually crossed into Somalia days before the announcement by Internal Security Minister George Saitoti and Defence Minister Yusuf Haji.

Internal Security permanent secretary Francis Kimemia said security forces had drawn up strategies to defeat al Shabaab in their own land.

"How it will be done, the number of troops involved and where they will strike remains a preserve of the military. We can't give information that would be useful to the enemy," he said.

Witnesses have reported military trucks at border points and military choppers in the air. Foreign troops are already on the ground in Somalia, mainly from Uganda and Burundi, under the African Union.

The Federal Transitional Government, the weak authority in Somalia backed by the international community, also has troops trained in Kenya and Uganda and paid for by western donors.

"Now we can't wait for the TFG or Amisom. Article 51 of the UN charter allows us to pursue them. It allows you to hit anybody who hits you or is planning to hit you.

"And also allows you to pursue those who have hit and ran away," Mr Kimemia said.

Kenya has been under sustained provocation from al Shabaab for months, with the al-Qaeda-linked group raiding across the border and, last Thursday, kidnapping two Spanish aid workers at the Daadab refugee camp.

French woman Marie Dedieu was kidnapped on Manda Island on October 1 while Mrs Judith Tebbutt, a Briton, was abducted and her husband David shot dead at Kiwayu resort in Kiunga in September.

In all incidents, those captured were taken to Somalia and are being held in al Shabaab bases. Prof Saitoti announced the decision to send troops to Somalia in a press conference on Saturday.

He branded Somalia's al-Qaeda-inspired al Shabaab rebels "the enemy" and vowed to attack them "wherever they will be."

Helicopter gunships

The military is probably better armed than at any time in its recent history.

Last year, Kenya was reported to have spent Sh27 billion on combat aircraft, helicopter gunships, grenade launchers and other weapons and was Africa's fourth largest military spender after South Africa, Angola and Sudan.

Kenya can also raise a reasonably large army -- last year the Central Intelligence Agency estimated that 20 million Kenyans were available for military service. Out of these, about 12 million men and women were fit for service.

Military sources traced the upsurge in militia activity to August 12, when al Shabaab vanished from Mogadishu overnight, following a sustained assault by AU and Somalia government forces.

It appears that, having lost the war on that front, the extremist group is testing Kenya as a "soft target" for lucrative hostages.

Article 51 of the UN Charter, which Kenya is relying on to justify sending its troops across the border, says:

"Nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defence if an armed attack occurs against a Member of the United Nations, until the Security Council has taken measures necessary to maintain international peace and security.

"Measures taken by Members in the exercise of this right of self-defence shall be immediately reported to the Security Council and shall not in any way affect the authority and responsibility of the Security Council under the present Charter to take at any time such action as it deems necessary in order to maintain or restore international peace and security."

Set up security posts

Meanwhile, Kenya needs to develop a long-term strategy to secure all its borders, the chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Defence has said.

Mr Adan Keynan, who is also the MP for Wajir West, said the military should start this process by setting up security posts at intervals of 20 kilometres along the border with Somalia.

Mr Keynan said the action against the al Shaabab would be an opportunity for the army to show Kenyans how well its peacetime army can do its job.

"We have one of the most professionally run disciplined forces in Africa," said Mr Keynan, adding, the Army would be judged harshly if it does not succeed in pushing away the militia.

Government spokesman Alfred Mutua said the pursuit of the Somalia militia group was on. "We will give the details tomorrow (Monday)," he said.

An AFP reporter close to the border witnessed large numbers of troops as well as military planes and helicopters overhead.

Several witnesses reported heavy troop movement in Kenya's border regions, with truckloads of soldiers heading towards the frontier.The kidnappings at the Coast have dealt a major blow to the tourism industry.

Speaking when he arrived in the country after an international trip, Tourism Minister Najib Balala said the insecurity caused by Somali militias requires an international solution.

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Kenya: Army Hit Somali Terror Base

17 October 2011

Kenyan soldiers over the weekend crossed into Somalia and bombarded an Al Shabaab stronghold in Qoqani in lower Juba land which is about 100 kilometers from the Kenya Somali border.

The attack comes just hours after the Internal Security minister George Saitoti and Defence minister Yusuf Haji said the government would pursue the Al Shabab militia into Somalia as part of its 'robust measures" to protect and preserve the integrity of the country.

The attack which also involved soldiers of the Transitional Federal government saw Kenyan choppers shell the Al Shabab base at Qoqani. The TFG military officer at Qoqani Hassan Bule said the Al Shabab were driven out and were now headed towards Afmadow. Government spokesman Dr. Alfred Mutua confirmed the the cross-over which other sources say was aided by US forces.

Somali's ambassador to Kenya Mohammed Noor immediately condemned the attack adding "any attempted move to attack Somali's sovereignty" in the name of Al Shabaab is "unacceptable." Noor said his country was saddened by the recent kidnappings of foreigners in the country said he also understood Kenya's need to defend its territory and to pursue those who attacked its sovereignity.

He said his government was doing its best to fight Al Shabaab and had in the last two days launched "offensive raids" at Al Shabaab targets. He denied any knowledge of a ground offensive by Kenyan troops and said he was aware they were gathering along the border. Earlier yesterday, villagers close to the border had confirmed seeing Kenyan troops heading into Somali alongside the artillery of weapons and helicopters flying overhead.

Somalia's government spokesman Abdirahman Omar Osman said Kenya was only providing "logistical and moral support" and that it was the Somali forces who were battling the Al Shabaab. As a result of the offensive an Al Shabaab controlled town of Qoqani has been taken over by the Somali government.

Sources within the army, said Kenya army officers were now overseeing security operations between 50 and 60 kilometers inside Somalia, along the border with Kenya as a way of combating Al- Shabaab and its operations.

Kenya is providing all material support to Somali military officers trained in Kenya and who have been deployed to the front-line and propped from behind by the Kenya army to keep away Al Shabaab fighters. "We have to provide them with everything from uniform to boots to ammunition. Even the food they eat is ours. If we don't do that, they will collapse within a day," the military source said. The offensive launched over the weekend is expected to continue until a peaceful buffer zone is established between Kenya and its northern neighbour.

Sources high in government confirmed that administrators had already been trained to take over the towns and areas liberated from the Al Shabaab militia. The leaders are being trained in Nairobi before they are deployed to these regions. The administrators are in close contact with the country's security agencies such as the NSIS which also provides the administrators with logistical and equipment support. "The international community cannot be relied upon to take the lead because many countries of the West have little interest in Somalia or do not put their money where their mouth is. We have to do this to protect our national security," the source not authorised to speak to the press said.

Today, Defence minister Yusuf Haji and Saitoti are expected to hold a meeting with MPs to discuss the decision to pursue the Al Shabaab. They are expected to appear before the Defence and Foreign Relations Committee to explain measures the government has so far taken to protect citizens and foreigners in the country.

The committee's chairman and Wajir West MP Adan Keynan yesterday said Parliament needed to step in to ensure the sovereignty of the country is protected. "The cardinal responsibility of a government is to protect the sovereignty which is hinged on enough security on internationally recognized boarders. Then the security of our people and our visitors cannot be comprised.

The committee is expected to introduce a report in the House recommending the urgent and long term measures the country should take to protect itself from aggressions by the Al-Shabaab militias or any other group. The committee chairman said Mps will also be pushing for the international community to take a greater role in punishing persons responsible for destabilising Somalia.

On Saturday, the government ordered the military into action to stop Al-Shabaab militia from further threatening the country's security and economy. The defence minister and his internal security counterpart declared war on the terrorist organisation operating from Somalia and said Kenyan security forces will henceforth pursue the aggressors across the border.

The move follows last week's kidnapping of two Spanish aid workers who were grabbed from the Dadaab refugee camp by Al-Shabaab militias and taken into lawless Somalia. The two women were working as logisticians for the aid agency Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF, Doctors Without Borders).

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Al Shabaab Threatens to Attack Kenya Unless Their Forces Leave

17 October 2011

Mogadishu — The Al shabaab movement on Monday threatened if Kenyan government doesn't withdraws its forces from Somalia, they launch attacks against the neighboring country.

Briefing to the local media in Elash Biyaha neighborhood just outside of Somalia's capital, Sheikh Ali Mohamoud Rage said that they will attack Kenya for their provocative move to enter Somalia.

He disclosed the Al shabaab fighters have the ability to decimate Kenyan huge buildings.

"The Kenyan public must understand that the impetuous decision by their troops to cross the border into Somalia will not be without severe repercussions. The bloody battles that will ensue as a result of this incursion will most likely disrupt the social equilibrium and imperil the lives of hundreds of thousands of civilians; and with war consequently comes a significant loss of lives, instability, and destruction to the local economy and a critical lack of security" the spokesman was quoted as saying.

The Kenyan people has the chance and stop their government from causing their blood to shed, Rage adds.

He also talked about the latest battles Kenyan forces with Al shabaab fighters in the village of Qoqani and Afmadow district, spelling out that Kenyan forces bombarded those areas killing civilians and destroyed their properties.

He denied that Al shabaab abducted aid workers from Kenya.

"The allegations put forward by the Kenyan authorities with regard to the recent kidnappings are, at best, unfounded and, apart from the mere conjectural corroborations, not substantiated with any verifiable evidence. They are not in any way, shape or form attributable to Harakat Al-Shabaab Al Mujahideen"

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Kenyan Troops Join AU Somalia Mission


Kenyan soldiers fighting Al-Shabaab militants have now become part of the United Nations-sponsored African Mission in Somalia.

It follows the unanimous vote in Parliament on Wednesday authorising the Kenya Defence Forces currently in Somalia to serve under the African Union Mission in Somalia.

Kenya is joining the force at the invitation of the African Union.


By passing the motion, MPs removed the last hurdle, which gave the conversion of the mission from a purely Kenyan affair to a UN/AU sponsored one after the Cabinet last week approved the move.

By sending troops to Somalia, Kenya provided perhaps one of the best chances of peace in Somalia in recent times.

It has created the conditions for military victory over Al-Shabaab, now being fought on three fronts, with the prospect of giving the Transitional Federal Government the room it needs to take charge of more of the lawless country.

As a purely Kenyan affair, Operation Linda Nchi was paid for solely by the Kenyan taxpayer and risks being seen as an occupation force.

As part of the AU peacekeeping mission, Kenya will still achieve the objective of ridding Somalia of Al-Shabaab without the risk of being perceived as occupying a neighbouring country.

The AU also pays for the mission.


On Wednesday, even as they passed the motion, MPs cautioned against the risk of Kenya being caught up in an endless war in Somalia.

Need for exit strategy

MPs supported the government decision through a motion introduced to the House by Defence Minister Yusuf Haji, but called for caution and the need for an exit strategy.

They urged the government to look for a structure where the Kenya Defence Force enjoys some degree of command and operational independence.

The 9,000-strong Amisom forces currently operating in Mogadishu are commanded by a Ugandan general and it was not immediately clear whether this would continue to be the case when the KDF join the mission.

Defence assistant minister David Musila said it would be a grave mistake to leave the operation half-way, cautioning that this would expose Kenya to danger.

Amisom is a regional peacekeeping mission operated by the African Union with the approval of the UN and is mandated to conduct peace support operations in Somalia.

The Cabinet last week approved an African Union request that Kenyan forces battling Al-Shabaab join Amisom.

"The Cabinet that met under the chairmanship of President Kibaki at State House Nairobi also approved the re-hatting of the Kenya Defence Forces in Somalia to Amisom, subject to approval by Parliament," said an emailed statement on Tuesday.

The Cabinet also approved the hosting of the Nairobi Summit on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia early next year.


Kenya, which launched an incursion in Somalia mid-October, committed to the Intergovernmental Authority on Development Heads of States Summit in Addis Ababa in November its willingness to join the 9000-strong Amisom force.

Kenya had expressed willingness to bolster the African Union troops on condition that the forces' mandate was changed to reflect the security situation on the ground.

Currently, Amisom's mandate restricts it to operate only in Mogadishu as a peace-keeping force where it is providing security to the Transitional Federal Government.

Director of communications in the Department of Defence Bogita Ongeri said no agreement had been reached on whether the KDF would be deployed in Mogadishu.

"The AU mission will be divided into sectors with the Amisom mission widened to include places outside Mogadishu," Mr Ongeri said.

KDF would be given one of the sectors to operate from, he added.