The Star
Monday, February 20, 2012
THE Kenya Defense Forces have ruled out any possibility of
negotiating with the al Shabaab militia group in a bid to rescue the
more than 10 Kenyans being held hostage in Somalia. Instead the forces
have indicated that they will be relying on local people and religious
groups who support the attacks on the insurgents, in efforts to rescue
the Kenyan captives.KDF have further exuded confidence that they
will render the militia group powerless, and restore Kenya and Somalia's
dignity and glory. Last week the forces killed four al Shabaab militia
and recovered four AK 47 machine guns and communication gadgets that
were being used by the terror group.
Consequently, one KDF soldier
was killed by the insurgents in the ensuing battle, a situation the
head of Operation Linda Nchi, Cyrus Oguna said will not dampen the
combatants' spirit. “Any country has the option to move in and secure
its borders,” Oguna said adding that the soldiers will remain steadfast
on the war front until Kenyans feel safe.
It is believed that the
seizure of key border points along the coastal line by KDF has rendered
al Shabaab less powerful, as it lacks the main points of accessing vital
resources. “Our being in Somalia will go on until that time the people
of Kenya and Somalia feel safe from the attacks of the Al Shabaab,” he
said.
Oguna reiterated the forces' knowledge of the daunting task
they are faced with, and said the squad on the ground is sure of what it
is engaging in, and that victory will be on its side. He hailed the
achievements realized in the last 126 days that the forces have been
engaging in the war, saying they have liberated a huge area previously
occupied by Al Shabaab.
The forces are said to have freed 95,000
kilometers which had been under the command of the Al Shabaab, with
most towns in the north, central and south having been reclaimed.
“Danasa town which has a population of 6,000 people had previously been
evacuated, but the people have since come back,” Oguna said, and gave
credit to combined forces from KDF and Somalia's Transitional Federal
Government.
He further hailed the support from the local
communities, and confirmed that people living in Badade town resorted to
burning the Al Shabaab flag when the soldiers took control of the
place. “Let us continue supporting the efforts of our soldiers in
Somalia by being more vigilant,” he said and added that the recent
merger of Al Qaeda with the insurgents continues to pose a threat. “We
are still not safe,” he said. 30 people mostly from northern Kenya are
estimated to have died from terror related attacks since the
commencement of the war.