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Al-Shabaab abducts 5 Kenyan chiefs in Mandera County
[Garowe] At least five National Government Administration Officers (NGAO) from Mandara County have been allegedly kidnapped by suspected al-Shabaab
... Somalia's version of the Taliban, functioning as an arm of al-Qaeda...
 krazed killers, officials said, just days before President William Ruto visits the northeastern region.

Julius Njeru, the Mandera South Sub County Police Commander, said the five were traveling from Wargadud to Elwak town for duty before they were ambushed by the krazed killers, who perhaps crossed over to Sthe omalia border after the incident.

Security officers working with the multi-agency security teams and the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) are said to be pursuing the krazed killers, with the ultimate hope of rescuing the administrators, who were reporting for official duties at the time of abduction.

The incident is the first targeting government officials in as many months, with the al-Shabaab always pursuing chiefs and coppers whenever they want to strike. Chiefs an important role in relaying information to security teams.

The whereabouts of the administrators, but it is believed the bandidos turbans are taking them for ransom purposes. The group is known to be sparing locals who share the same religion and ethnicity, only using them to solicit money from the government.

This is not the first time al-Shabaab bandidos turbans have kidnapped people within the region. In 2011, they held hostage Italian citizens leading to authorization of Operation Linda Nchi, which paved the way for KDF incursion in Somalia before joining the African Union
...a union consisting of 53 African states, most run by dictators of one flavor or another. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established in 2002, the AU is the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was even less successful...
 Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM).

In 2019, the bandidos turbans also kidnapped two Cuban doctors Assel Herrera Correa and Landy Rodriguez Hernandez before taking them across the border. There were negotiations between elders from across the two countries negotiating for their release but they collapsed.

The abduction of the five chiefs comes at the time President William Ruto is set for a development visit to northeastern Kenya where he is set to inspect several projects in the coming days. Mandera Senator Ali Roba is one of the organizers of the trip.

For almost three years, the region has been fairly stable with the multi-agency security teams managing to neutralise the Somalia-based terror group. KDF has also established 14 Forward Operating Bases along the border between Kenya and Somalia to monitor the situation.
The chiefs were from the administrative units of Wargadud East, Qurahmudow, and Chachabole and were aboard a vehicle at the time of the incident.

The vehicle ferrying the chiefs to Elwak was hijacked between Bamba Owla and Ires Suki in Mandera South.

Kenya’s security multi-agency teams operating under the Special Operations Group(SOG) quick response unit encountered an IED attack while responding to the incident.

This led to delays in the rescue efforts to help bring the five chiefs home, with the insurgents making away with the administrators.
Posted by: trailing wife 2025-02-05
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=738688