NAIROBI (Halbeeg News) – Kenyan President William Ruto has dismissed critics claiming the decision to reopen Kenya-Somalia border has resulted in a surge in al-Shabaab attacks.
Ruto argued the decision the government took was the best for the country despite the security challenges that have been witnessed in Lamu, Garissa and Mandera recently.
In less than month, over a dozen attacks were carried out by suspected al-Shabaab fighters in northeastern and coastal regions of Kenya.
The militants have mostly been using Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) to blow up security vehicles on patrol.
Last May, Somalia’s interior Mohamed Ahmed Sheikh and his Kenyan counterpart announced the decision in Nairobi after high-level consultations at Harambee House.
Ali said the Federal Government is committed to promoting and strengthening corporation with its neighbors to improve security.
Kenya closed its border with Somalia in 2011 when it launched Operation Linda Nchi, a military operation aimed at rescuing Somalia from the yoke of al-Shabaab, as well as protecting Nairobi from external threats posed by the terror group.
After launching Operation Linda Nchi in 2011, the Kenyan government declared the operation over in 2012, but the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) joined the then African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), a regional peacekeeping mission operated by the African Union (AU) with the approval of the United Nations Security Council.
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