At least 32 have been killed in clashes between Kenya’s Pokomo and Orma communities in the country’s southeastern Tana River region, Kenya Red Cross officials and police say.
The violence began on Friday dawn when the Pokomo raided Kipau village belonging to the Orma.
Forty-five houses were set on fire during the attack, Nelly Muluka, a spokesperson for the Kenya Red Cross, said.
Athony Kamitu, a police officer leading operations to prevent further clashes, said that the Pokomo, mainly subsistence farmers, raided a village of the semi-nomadic Orma herding community.
The raiders were armed with spears and AK-47 rifles, Kamitu said.
‘Hacked to death’
Al Jazeera’s Nazanine Moshiri, reporting from Mount Kenya region, said “the victims were shot, their houses were burnt [and] some of them were hacked to death”.
“There are many people who were injured as well. Kenya Red Cross says they managed to evacuate 16 of the most seriously injured to Malindi, a town on the coast, but they are still searching the area for more victims.”
Our correspondent said the two communities were fighting over land, adding that the Tana River region, about 690km from the capital, Nairobi, is a semi-arid area with scarce water and grazing land.
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“The Ormo on one hand are nomads and then there are the semi-pastoralists who are the Pokomo tribe. Now they have been at odds for decades,” she said.
The conflict could also have been triggered by politics, our correspondent added.
Kenya is due to hold presidential elections in March 2013 and political boundaries in the Tana River region have been changed, sparking anger among the communities, our correspondent said.
Dhadho Godana, a member of parliament from the region and Yusuf Hajji, the defence minister, have been accusing each other of involvement in the fighting.
The two have testified before a commission of inquiry led by a High Court judge investigating the clashes.
The Standard newspaper in Nairobi reported that the commission is due to compile its report after receiving testimonies from some 95 witnesses and suspects.
At least 110 people were killed in clashes between the Pokomo and Orma in August and September.
Violence after Kenya’s last general election, in late 2007, killed more than 1,000 people and officials are working to avoid a repeat during March’s presidential election.
However, episodes of unrest around the country are raising fears that pockets of the country will see violence during the voting period.
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{ 4 comments }
Chritianity or islam were not mentioned in news reports on ABC radio 24 hr news this morning. Not telling us the truth or deliberately misleading us again.
so, the christians attack the muslims and you called it jihad? SNIP
This wasn’t a dispute over land and water, but the marauding of Muslims against non-Muslims.
Sometimes there is blowback. Like in this case.
The cause of the violence is quite clear. It was put in writing over 1,000 years ago, and it hasn’t changed since then. Muslims have been given clear instructions on how to deal with non-Muslims:
“Believers, make war on the infidels who dwell around you. Deal firmly with them.” (Surah 9:123)
“If only the unbelievers knew the day when they shall strive in vain to shield their faces and their backs from the fire of Hell; the day when none shall help them! . . .Can they not see how We invade their land and curtail its borders?” (Surah 21:40-44)
“Muhammad is God’s apostle. Those who follow him are ruthless to the unbelievers but merciful to one another. . . . Through them He seeks to enrage the unbelievers.” (Surah 48:29)
What is happening in Kenya is also happening in Nigeria, in Egypt, and in Great Britain. Why is the media, why are you so blind to Islamic savagery?
whatever sheikh yu are please dont mislead the people, i come from the same arears of the violence, i live there and i know the history of that war
more that u who is far far kilometres away. the truth is that this war was there many years back and it was just as a result of pasture,/grazing/and farming wars ,one community grazes its animals over the other land and and the other community mainly farmers too also deny some access to the river water(because most of the farming activities is along the river banks and as a result this brings the unfortunate conflict( it had nothing to do with religious war as u are depicting.
2)- currenty some of the pokomos and ormas killed are muslims.
infact u are wrong to put the pokomos as 90%christians , this is not true , there are more that 50% pokomo muslims. And again let me remind u that this is ONLY tribal /two communities at unfortunate war which has nothing to do with religion
3) may i also inform u that there are also other christian and muslims
communities in the area and yet they are not fighting or part of that war.; this again proves that this was is based on only the two communities(i.e pokomos and ormas irrespective of the religions) and not a religious wars as u are depicting -put ur facts correct stop the hate mongering u urself.
if u are a true christians stop the misleading information; one can understand clearly u r only trying to create a situation where muslims like killing christians and that is far from the truth
3- finally note this are just chriminals weather its a pokomo christian(or muslim) killing a orma muslim(christian ) or a muslim killing a christian.- DO NOT INDITE A RELIGION FOR THE MISTAKE OF A CRIMINAL CLAIMING TO PROFESS THAT RELIGION.
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