Kenya delays reopening of Somali border amid surge in cross-border attacks
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E-mail Xinhua, July 5, 2023
NAIROBI, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Kenya said Wednesday that the reopening of the common border with Somalia will be delayed due to increased cross-border terror attacks by al-Shabab terrorists.
Kithure Kindiki, cabinet secretary for Interior and National Administration, said cross-border incursions will be dealt with first before the reopening of the common border.
"The government will delay the planned reopening of Kenya-Somalia border points until we conclusively deal with the recent spate of terror attacks and cross-border crime," Kindiki said at the Dadaab refugee camp in northeast Kenya.
Terror attacks in Kenyan areas bordering Somalia have recently increased, claiming more than 30 lives, most of them security officers, according to police records.
"We have postponed the plans to reopen the main borders in Mandera, Wajir, here Liboi and Kiunga due to the increased attacks by the terrorists in the past months. We will deal with them first then continue with the plans," Kindiki said.
The Kenyan official who was touring the regions bordering Somalia, however, stressed that the plans to reopen the border points which were closed in 2012 at the height of al-Shabab terror attacks, will continue.
On May 15, Kenya and Somalia agreed to reopen their border crossing points in northeastern Kenya in phases.
Kindiki said the government of Kenya will continue to engage with the Somali government to develop and implement joint approaches and strategies cutting across social economic and insecurity issues. The security forces have launched an operation targeting the terror cells in the northeastern area.
He said the operation is also aimed at providing round-the-clock security to contractors and engineers working on key infrastructure projects in northeastern Kenya and insulating them from criminal elements and extremists keen on sabotaging their operations.
He also noted that plans are at an advanced stage to procure modern equipment, including choppers, drones and armored personnel carriers, to flush out the militants in the area. Enditem
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