Friday, December 30, 2011
When the Kenya Defence Forces swept into
Damasa in southern Somalia in November, many residents fled into the
hinterland fearing reprisals for supporting Al Shabaab, which had ruled
here since 2004.
Then there
were those who fled into the bushes fearing bloody resistance from the
militants or its sympathizers, who still lurk in town or its outskirts
to date, according to local residents and security officials.
This
pattern of flight was repeated in Busar, a town almost 50 kilometres
away, the minute the KDF and Transitional Federal Government (TFG)
forces allies swept in. Today, KDF has fortified its hold on Damasa, a
strategic town on the highway to Mogadishu, and Busar farther inland.
Some of the locals’ fears were not
entirely misplaced for no sooner had the KDF captured Damasa than the
militia tried to attack the KDF base on the night they were ousted.
"They tried to retaliate the same night and we repulsed them," said Captain Alex Ngonyo.
Witnesses
recount a few crucial minutes in which Al Shabaab’s attack crumbled
within minutes as both sides exchanged mortar and RPG fire. A few days
later, a band of militants crept into town in the dead of night to
abduct a woman the Islamists accused of sympathising with the new
Somalia National Army (SNA).
The
woman allegedly resisted attempts to forcibly recruit her two sons into
Al Shabaab. For her efforts, the militia fired an RPG into her house,
which, luckily, did not explode. She, however, sustained injuries from
the attack.
KDF determined that
by attacking Damasa and its residents a second time, Al Shabaab’s
intention was to probe its defenses. In response, KDF fired several
mortar rounds, scattering the militants who fled into the night leaving
behind communication equipment and sandals.
But
SNA’s response was more ruthless, and the SNA commander is upfront
about the kind of justice meted on suspected Al Shabaab collaborators.
Major Abdillahi Mohamed Aden discloses readily that "some people were
executed (by SNA) for carrying ammunition for the Al Shabaab" without
giving details of the execution.
Firing squad
Some
accounts indicate the execution by firing squad was done after a brief
trial by SNA’s military tribunal in Damasa and the two victims buried in
the local cemetery.
In many
places where SNA is holding fort, strict rules have been imposed for gun
crimes in an effort to instil discipline in the nascent force, and most
violations lead to execution by firing squad.
In
the initial stages of co-operation between KDF and the SNA, the TFG
forces were notorious for firing into the air for no reason, a practice
that compromised their own defences.
When
The Standard visited Damasa, the town population was beginning to swell
to its pre-war levels. Residents were returning largely attracted by
the failure of the "massacre" Al Shabaab had predicted would follow the
Kenyan arrival, and the humanitarian services provided by the KDF in the
small town.
Before fleeing, Al
Shabaab had announced that KDF were ‘infidel’ forces that had come to
occupy their land. But when the KDF medical team turned for its
bi-weekly camp at Damasa, a crowd of mainly women, the old and children
formed.
Captain Ngonyo and Major Abdillahi admit when the town was captured, many people fled in fear.
"People
thought we would torture them, but they have realised we are for their
security," says Major Abdillahi, who estimates that Damasa and its
outskirts now house close to 6,000 people.
According to Ngonyo, locals were suspicious when KDF swept in.
"Initially,
there was tension. They thought we were targeting them. When they
realised our mission was to help, they began to interact. The population
is now increasing. When we came the population was small."
However,
when walking through the dusty streets of the town, it is not easy to
determine the residents’ attitude about unfolding events. As a result,
the KDF never takes anything for granted.
On
Christmas Day, for example, they were on high alert following
intelligence reports of an attack on the local market or frontline.
Unsurprisingly,
suspected militants tried to infiltrate a local Administration Police
post in Kenya, which had first been attacked on November 6 killing a
police reservist.
Shaved beards
And
whenever KDF patrol the streets to search for arms, they do so in
collaboration with the SNA. In areas they control, KDF often patrol
towns in armoured cars and humvees and avoid unauthorised contact with
the civilian population, a marked departure from past interventions in
these parts.
The Kenyans do not
drop their guard even when conducting medical camps because Al Shabaab
is never far. One TFG soldier remarked "Al Shabaab is among these
people; they have just shaved their beards".
And
there is cause to be cautious here for when driving through town, one
deduces mixed feelings from the people’s body language.
The
boys often cheer and run after the Humvees (High Mobility Multipurpose
Wheeled Vehicle) and pose for pictures while the men lean forlornly on
their stools or sit back — expressionless or in anxious resignation
—exhibiting a wait-and-see attitude.
Women hold onto their children as girls, shyly, retreat into the shadows.
A
fledgling micro-economy is developing between KDF and the local
community, which now feels confident to supply the Kenyans with water in
exchange for medical supplies and food rations.
The
SNA Major reports the militants have retreated to El Ade, a town, 70
kilometres east of Damasa where they are terrorising the people and
confiscating camels and cattle in the name of zakat.
And
according to Ngonyo, by capturing Damasa, the KDF denied the militants a
safe haven and ability to attack Kenya with ease and raise money from
taxation and extortion.
"At least we have blocked this route. The money Al Shabaab used to get from this place is no more."