38 killed as Ethiopian, Sudanese raiders strike in north Kenya
Jan 19, 2006 (NAIROBI) — Thirty-eight people have been killed in an attack carried out by Ethiopian and Sudanese raiders along the common border, Kenyan newspaper Daily Nation reported.
The dead are eight Kenyans, including a 65 year-old police reservist Lokoyo Engomo, and 30 others suspected to be raiders from Dongiro in Ethiopia and Toposa in Sudan.
The report said raiders numbering over 100 attacked Zoyea area on Saturday 14 January, killing a Turkana herdsman as he grazed his livestock and stealing 190 livestock. When the raiders returned on Sunday 15 January, Turkana herdsmen resisted killing 30 of them, and losing seven of their own in the ensuing fighting. The bandits, however, still managed to drive away more than 300 livestock.
Three herdsmen injured in the Saturday attack are said to be recovering at Lodwar District Hospital while seven others, who are seriously wounded and cannot be reached by rescue workers due to a perilous terrain are still stranded in the area.
“The people come from Todonyang but due to drought they decided to move to Zoyea in search of water and pasture, even though they know the place is dangerous,” said area civic leader Paul Lobwel, adding: “We urge the government to come to our aid because the seven cannot walk while the three walked with a lot of pain before they got a car.”
About 250 people have been displaced in the raid and are now on the verge of starvation after losing their livestock, said the councillor.
District Commissioner Njenga Miiri said the area, about 240 kilometres from Lokichoggio and 560 km from Lodwar, is hard to reach. Ethiopia and the Sudan are about three kilometres away.
Miiri said information on the attack was received through army officers who had flown to the area to beef up security on the tripartite international borders.
(DailyNation/ST)