Kenyan Soldiers to Relocate and Pacify New Areas in Southern Somalia

US-backed military forces terrorize Somalians in the southern port city of Kismayo. Resistance to the occupation has continued since Kenyan Defense Forces entered the town., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

Kenya soldiers to relocate and pacify new areas in South Somalia

NAIROBI (Xinhua) -- Kenyan soldiers operating in Southern Somalia are set to relocate to other areas experiencing insecurity to allow other forces from Sierra Leone and Djibouti to occupy their positions in the port city of Kismayo.

Military spokesman Col. Willy Wesonga also denied media reports that the Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) which entered southern Somalia will be pulling out of the Horn of Africa soon.

"Our troops will only be relocating to other areas but we are not pulling out of Somalia as has been reported in a section of the media.

"The relocation is only meant for restructuring of the AMISOM operations in Somalia. KDF will be relocating to other needy areas," Wesonga told Xinhua by telephone on Saturday.

He said the east African nation’s troops will be handing over its security duties in Kismayo to forces from Sierra Leone, Djibouti and Nigeria.

"We don’t want to play dominant role in Somalia.

"There are other troops from Ethiopia, Burundi, Djibouti, Nigeria and Sierra Leone which will come in.

"We will invite the media when we have finalized our relocation plans.

"All these are being planned by Amisom," Wesonga added.

Kenya which hosted protracted talks that led to the formation of Transitional Government of Somalia in 2006 in Nairobi, sent forces into Somalia in 2011 to help the country fight the Al-Qaida- linked militant group Al-Shabaab, after the insurgents carried out a series of bombings and kidnapping in Kenya.

Al-Shabaab at one point controlled large parts of Somalia, including Kismayo, but was pushed out of major cities by African Union forces and the Somali government.

The Kenyan troops have been providing security in Kismayo as part of the multinational AU force.

EARLIER REPORTS:

Eight foreigners on en route to Somalia arrested in northern Kenya

NAIROBI (Xinhua) -- Kenyan police on Friday arrested six Ethiopian and two Tanzania aliens in two separate incidents in the border town of Garissa in northern Kenya as the country intensifies surveillance along its porous borders with the neighboring Somalia amid terrorist threats from Al-Shabaab.

In the first incident, police arrested six aliens including three women and a six-year old boy near Modika police check some 8 km from Garissa town, as they took on foot after disembarking from a lorry ferrying them to evade police dragnet at the security checkpoint.

Head of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in northeast region Musa Yego said the aliens who claimed to be from Ethiopian border town of Moyale, were held following a tip off from the members of the public who saw suspicious looking foreigners walking in the bush around their neighborhood at dusk.

"The aliens were dropped some meters from the police barrier by the driver of lorry which they were travelling in bid to walk on foot to avoid the security officers’ arrest before later boarding the vehicle while past the police checkpoint," said Yego.

"But locals who saw them acting suspiciously in the bushes reported to our officers at the barrier leading to their arrests," Yego said in Garissa on Friday.

In the second incident, Yego said two other people believed to be from Tanzania, were also nabbed at Libio border point by security personnel on patrol as they attempted to sneak out of the country on their way to the war-ravaged Somalia.

He said security patrols along the Kenya/ Somalia border and in all towns in the region bordering the war-strife country have been beefed up following the new terrorist threats from the 'al-Shabaab', a terror group with a strong link with international terrorist group 'al-Qaida'.

He said the arrested liens will appear in Garissa magistrate court to answer charges of unlawfully been present in the country.

Yego urged the locals to be extra vigilant at this time, when the country is faced with a serious threat from a terrorist group by volunteering swiftly to the security agents any useful information or presences of any suspicious looking individuals in the region.

Northern Kenya has born the brunt of terrorist attacks in the recent past after the country’s military invasion in southern Somalia to crash the Islamist militia accused for several deadly incursions, which claimed lives of both civilians and security officers in border towns of Garissa, Wajir and Mandera.

There has been mass exodus of Ethiopian aliens into the country claiming who later head to South Africa in search of employment.

The Kenyan authorities have blamed the vastness of the region for the runaway influx of foreigners into Kenya through Moyale on Kenya-Ethiopia borders.

Refugee rights organizations and aid agencies have blamed poverty in Africa for the rising cases of human trafficking.

They said that the huge supply of labor both skilled and unskilled makes them vulnerable to criminal syndicates.


Kenya refutes security threats over impending terror attacks

By Njoroge Kaburo and Chrispinus Omar NAIROBI (Xinhua) -- Kenya on Saturday dismissed messages circulated on social media of an impending terror attack on Nairobi by 'al-Qaida' allied terror group 'al-Shabaab'.

Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Interior Mutea Iringo said the government will not tolerate those misusing the social media platforms to cause panic among Kenyans at a time when security forces were on high alert to ensure safety of the people.

"We have our intelligence reports and have enhanced security across the country for some time now.

"It is not as a result of the warning issued on Wednesday," said Inspector General of Police David Kimaiyo.

Iringo however said terror threats are a reality in the country for sometime now hence need for Kenyans to always be alert and share whatever information they have with security agencies.

"The management of malls and other vital installations are always guarded. We urge Kenyans to disregard rumors calculated to cause panic but always remain vigilant," he said.
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Kenya Airways says flights to Britain remain normal

NAIROBI (Xinhua) -- Kenya’s carrier, Kenya Airways said Saturday its flights to Britain are operating normally and dismissed rumors that it has canceled flights to London over impending terror attacks in Nairobi.

The airline’s CEO Dr. Titus Nakuni said the national carrier is flying to London seven times a week as usual and urged customers to ignore any information to the contrary.

Naikuni’s statement comes hours after British High Commissioner to Kenya Christian Turner and the Kenyan government dismissed such rumors on social media warning of an impending terror attack in Nairobi by Al-Qaida allied terror group, Al-Shabaab.

"Rumors that UK has cancelled flights to Kenya are not true," Turner said in his official twitter account.

Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Interior Mutea Iringo said the government will not tolerate those misusing the social media platforms to cause panic among Kenyans at a time when security forces were on high alert to ensure safety of the people.
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Kenya heightens security checks at airports to curb terror attacks

NAIROBI (Xinhua) -- Kenyan authorities have enhanced security in and around the country’s main airports to help prevent terror attacks at the country’s key entry points across the country.

Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) which manages all airports across the East African nation said Wednesday it has intensified security checks at the airports and have a advised passengers to arrive an hour before normal reporting times.

"Due to security enhancements at all airports, passengers are advised to arrive for their flights at least one hour before the normal reporting time to cater for vehicle security checks during entry to the airports," KAA said in a newspaper advertisement on Wednesday.

The heightened security follows a blast which occurred at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) last week causing damage at the departure section.

The police chief said there was no casualty despite the despite the heavy presence of security forces and bomb experts who had been called in immediately after the "explosion".

The security forces said last Saturday they have arrested four suspects in connection with the blast last week at the main airport.

Police spokesperson Gatiria Mboroki told journalists in Nairobi that further investigations are ongoing so as to ensure the culprits are brought to book.

"We are also asking Kenyans to remain vigilant as several attempted incidence of terrorist attacks have been noted in the past week," Mboroki said.

On Wednesday, Kenya Airways advised its customers departing from JKIA in Nairobi to plan to be at the airport at least an hour before normal check-in time as police heighten security checks.

"Following enhanced security measures implemented by the KAA, Kenya Airways wishes to advice all guests departing from JKIA in Nairobi to plan to be at the airport at least an hour before normal check-in time," the airline said in the statement.

"This is to allow for sufficient time to go through the enhanced security checks and be on time for scheduled flights," the statement said.

The enhanced alert follow indications of a terror attack in the wake of the start of the trial of four men accused of being behind the Westgate attack last September, in which more than 68 people died and the airstrike by Kenyan troops in Somalia early this month.

The enhanced security also comes amid reports that some of the Kenyan youths who had crossed to the Horn of Africa nation to join the militants are now back in the Coastal region after being discouraged by the constant military attacks on the militants’ strongholds and fallouts.

The police said more border patrol will be intensified along the Kenya-Somalia border in Kiunga and Dadaab refugee camps to prevent the 'al-Qaida' linked insurgents who are fleeing Kismayo to from entering into the country.