Press Release: Gedo Region Administration strongly condemns KDF cross border attacks

[Deeq A.]

Gedo region administration strongly condemns the indiscriminate and destructive attacks carried out by the Kenyan Defence Force in parts of Gedo region.

On 23rd of September, the Kenyan army attacked Yado village near Elwak district killing one civilian and taking hostage four other local residents to unknown location. On Saturday the 24th of September, the KDF again waged another illegal attack against the local people in the border cities of Elwak and Beled-Hawo districts of Gedo region. During the attack, the Kenyan army took hostage for three more local residents in Kurtun village near Elwak town, they also destroyed the main telecommunication tower in the area. The same day the Kenyan army conducted large scale cross border military operation targeting civilians that were peacefully demonstrating to express their grievances.

The regional administration urgently calls the Kenyan government to halt the recurring military intrusions that causing the loss of both civilian lives and the destruction of vital telecommunication infrastructure. Since, this will only benefit violence extremist elements to use this unfortunate events as means of recruitment and exploitation of civilian grievances.

The regional administration also calls the Somali Federal Government to immediately intervene the situation by using all means available to stop the KDF atrocities against innocent civilians and the destruction of the already scarce telecommunications infrastructure vital for the livelihood of the local residents in the region. Likewise, the regional administrations appeals concerned human rights international organizations to investigate the level of the inhuman atrocities committed by the Kenyan Army in the region.

Finally, the regional administrations requests the local community to withhold their grievances and refrain from any action that might deteriorate the already boiling situation on the ground.

END

Osman Nur Haji

Gedo Region Governor

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