Security, service delivery and economic activity in northeastern Kenya have deteriorated considerably since October 2011, when the country’s military forces deployed in neighboring Somalia in an effort to eradicate the Al-Shabab militia, which has vowed to avenge the incursion.

In December alone, at least 15 incidents involving grenades or improvised explosive devices (IEDs) occurred in the regions of Garissa, Wajir, Mandera and Dadaab, where some 463,000 people, mostly Somalis, are housed in the world’s largest refugee complex. (See box)

In the latest incident on 11 January, at least two police officers and four civilians were killed in a raid at the Gerrile border post in Wajir area; other government officials were reported missing, presumably abducted.

Al-Shabab said on its Twitter account that it carried out this attack. Several blogs reportedly associated with the group also said one of its units was responsible for killing a refugee leader in Dadaab in December because he helped the authorities to locate IEDs there.

Confirming the Gerrile incident, the regional commissioner Wenslas Ongayo said an operation was under way to rescue the missing officials.

One local government official in the northeast, who asked not to be identified, told IRIN the insecurity had restricted his duties.

“As a senior civil servant and a supervisor, I am supposed to travel to remote parts of Mandera, some areas very close to the Somali border,” he said.

“Since my life is important to me and my family, I no longer make any field trips since the Al-Shabab killed three government workers [there] two months ago.”

Read more of the story here at the IRIN news service:
KENYA-SOMALIA: Paying high price for military incursion