Sunday, November 09, 2008
The minister who co-chaired a high level security meeting with Defence minister Yusuf Haji in Garissa minister today however noted that the fighting will not end without involvement of local leaders .
Haji expressed his support for the security operation and challenged those alleging that the military used excessive force to table their evidence for action to be taken.
He said any army officer who would be proven beyond reasonable doubt to have unlawfully harassed locals would face martial law.
He said local leaders have the key of persuading their people to disarm and keep peace.
Minister Saitoti said underdevelopment was the greatest security threat in North Eastern Province, which must be addressed as a matter of priority.
The defence minister observed that cattle rustling, which often sparks ethnic clashes was the only source of livelihood for dozens of youths, thus the need for implementation of income generating projects to counter the vice.
During the meeting that was also attended by minister for Northern Kenya and Other Arid lands, deputy speaker of the national assembly Farah Maalim, North Eastern MPs and all members of the provincial administration Saitoti said there was urgent need for the government to respond fast to food shortage.
He said the government would sink boreholes to dissuade the Garre and Murule clans in Mandera from butchering each other over these resourses.
Saitoti cited education as a long term plan to end the violence saying if the militiamen fighting in Mandera were educated; they would either be working or searching for jobs instead of engaging themselves in criminal activities.
The minister resoundingly called on the provincial administration to be firm, fair and not to fear making decisions adding that the government could not yield to noise making by lobbyists and watch the country sink into civil strife.
Both ministers acknowledged that the vast Kenya-Somali border was extremely porous and without a gazetted entry point, therefore posed a major security challenge.
They pledged to deploy more officers to man the border and curb illegal arms trade.
However, Elmi said matters of human rights should never be left out in security affairs if the operation was to help the local populace.
Source: KBC, Nov 08, 2008