Insecurity affecting humanitarian interventions

In its latest situation report released late last week, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) in Kenya expressed the hope that a UN team of disarmamemt experts on a fact-finding mission to Kenya from 28 July - 5 August could come up with durable solutions for disarmament, “particularly in light of the increase in ethnic clashes throughout the country.” The mission team has finished its deliberations in Kenya and is set to make its recommendations to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

Ethnic strife between the Orma/Wardeis and Pokomo peoples had continued to take a heavy toll in Tana River, eastern Kenya, while incidents of banditry were widespread and sometimes serious. In July alone, there were an estimated 19 deaths related to ethnic clashes in Moyale (in the north), Turkana (in the northwest), Trans-Mara (in the southwest), Tana River and Nairobi, it said. “Violent crime continues to plague the whole country,” OCHA stated.

Insecurity was a particular concern in the border area of Wajir, and was affecting humanitarian access, while relief operations were also being hampered by insecurity in Baringo District, especially around Baragoi, the agency reported. Two NGO vehicles had been fired upon along the El Wak/Rhamu road in Mandera District on 20 July, while a transporter carrying food to Lodwar in Turkana district was attacked, and its contents destroyed, just north of Kainuk on 29 July, it said.

Since President Daniel arap Moi’s closure of the border between Kenya and Somalia on 28 July in a stated attempt to curb the influx of arms into Kenya, there had been threats from Somalis in Somalia to hijack vehicles in Kenyan districts running along the border, namely: Lamu, Tana River, Garissa, Wajir and Mandera, OCHA Kenya reported last week. The UN had issued a “high-alert” security caution to humanitarian workers in border districts, and recommended that “extreme caution” should be undertaken when travelling close to the border, it stated.