Shabaab kills self in an aborted planned carnage in Elwak

 

By Adow Jubat

One al-Shabaab militant was killed, while several of his accomplices were injured in a plan terror attack that went weary in the incursion prone border County of Mandera, Northeastern region bordering war-strife Somalia.

The militants were planting explosives devices along a road that leads to a dam in Dabacity area, Elwak south sub-county on Saturday noon.

The Somali based militants, who are affiliated to Al-Qaeda international terror group, has on Tuesday last week attack a Mandera bound bus in the same area, where they killed two people and injured five others, after their attempts to split passengers along religious line were challenged by Muslim travelers.

Muslim passengers saved their Christian colleagues after refusing to be split along religious spectrum and also providing their clothing to them (Christians) in bid to conceal, them from being identified through their dressing codes.

Confirming the incident which occurred at noon on Saturday, the Mandera County commissioner Fredrick Shisia the assailants were planting Improvised explosive device (IED) along a road leading to Garesesala water point where security patrol along Kenya/Somali border frequently uses.

He said nomad families, who were trekking along the nearby bushes toward Elwak town so, the Shabaab insurgent in jangle uniform and wearing balaclava burying something in some portion of the road.

“A security patrol team who were doing their routine movement, were tipped off by the nomads over the presences of suspicious looking gunmen digging some parts of the road to the only dam and burying some objects” He said.

He added “Upon the patrol team led by OCPD and the officer commanding (OC) Elwak military base speeding off the incident area, the militants who were caught unawares in panic attempted to detonate the incendiaries on the oncoming security vehicles killing one of Shabaab dead instantly and injuring others”,

The Northeastern regional coordinator Amb Mohamud Saleh who also confirmed the incidents said the mutilated body of the Shabaab was taken to Elwak sub-county hospital mortuary for identification and investigations. He added that an AK47 assault rifle, which was carried the deceased which was badly dismantled under the impact of the explosion was also recovered.

Amb Saleh noted that the assailants who were caught planting the explosives on the road were about 5, but there could be possibilities that others could be watching over them in hiding.

“A part from the one who was killed, we also highly believe four of his accomplice, were also injured in the explosion since officers on pursuit of the criminals reported of seeing trail of blood”, He said.

The regional coordinator thanked the member of the public in the region for showing a lot of commitments to work with security agents by volunteering valuable information that saved lives.

“These is the second incident a swift action by the members of the local community to save lives by confronting Shabaab, I urgent them all Kenyans to be patriotic like Mandera people and ensure to working closely with security team”, He noted.

  

RESIDENTS MOURNS THE "DEATH" OF A LEGEND TREE

By Adow Jubat

                               Duuq Mawaye before it "dead". File pic

A "death" of acacia tree is in a rare occurrence being mourned by villagers in a remote area in Balambala constituency of Garissa County, Northeastern region.

The residents of Saka location about 60 kilometers from Garissa town has declared 30 days of mourning in respect of ancient tree which collapsed on Thursday , due to its had historical significance to the people in the area.

The social media was awash with “condolences” sent my mourners who were shocked by sudden "death" of gigantic tree believed to have being in existence over 320 years. The tree which was in the centre of the Saka town was known in the entire northeastern region as “Duuq mawaye” (the elders’ favorite).

According to the former area councilor and the chairman of the defunct Garissa county council Adan Yussuf Bute said residents of Saka town and its environs were shocked by the news of the falling of the tree on Thursday at around 5.30 am.

Many residents mainly mothers who used the tree shade as their stalls where they could sale their farm produces are reportedly broke into tears uncontrollably.

“People have agreed to mourn the “death” of the tree for the next 30 days starting Saturday. The mourning will be done differently from the one usually observed when someone dies, it will involve offering a respect to the tree by not using its branches for firewood”, He said.

                         Residents shocked by the collapse of Duuq Mawaye milling around the shortly it fell on Thursday. Pic by Adow Jubat

The gigantic tree split miraculously split in the middle before collapsing into heap. A little boy who was with his mother who was selling milking was injured on the head, while several shops nearby were slightly damaged.

Bute, who is aspiring to reclaim his Saka ward, which he lost last generation said the “a burial” committee to ensure the fallen tree gets a deserving send off has been established. Among the tasks the committee will undertake includes arrangement to organize for offering.

The significance attached to the tree by residents of Abdiwaq community of Garissa County dates back to 1902, when the shade of the tree was used as an open hospital where casualties of the community who were injured in a tribal clash pitting them against Mohamed Zuber were treated said an 70 years elder in the town.

“Scores of people from Abdiwaq community, who sustained injuries in the fighting with Mohamed Zuber Ogaden sub-clan found in Wajir County, were treated for months under the tree. Those days there was no hospital, but the tree offered a better service that could be found in any public hospital”, He added.

Dr. Ismail Arte Rage, nutritional manager with UNICEF who is based in South Sudan and eyeing Fafi constituency in the forthcoming general polls said the tree was so popularly with local people since it was serving them many services at the same time for the last over 320 years.

“The acacia tree had big branches that cover about 18 feet square and offered very cool shade that help people to transact various businesses under it simultaneously. One side of the tree women used to sale their good, another side elders conferred on daily basis to decided on serious and important communal matters”, He explained while speaking to Frontier Leaks on phone from Juba.

Dr. Rage remembers tree as being an open air hospital, where medical outrage programs were conduct frequently. “When I read the collapse of the tree from the social media I was really shaken. I felt like I lost a close relative. I recall vividly how I was treated under that tree or sing for government dignitaries in early 1970s, when I was schoolboy”, He added.

The tree shade was also the only free open air “tent’ where government officials made important pronouncements such as the announcements of polio campaigns and hold public events.

The last national function which was held under the tree was on 12/12/15 during the Mashujaa Day. 

The tree is also historical as it is where hard political decisions were made in the last 3 centuries. One of the notably decision which was made under this tree was in the early 1960s, where the local community made anonymous declaration to support the aborted secession drive.

 

Many political declarations which were slated to be made this week under the canopy of the tree had to be cancelled as residents began their 30 days mourning of legend tree today.

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