Uhuru dispatches delegation to meet Farmajo in Mogadishu over Gedo chaos

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Days after unprecedented skirmishes within the Gedo region along Kenya-Somalia border, President Uhuru Kenyatta on Sunday dispatched a high-level delegation to Mogadishu over the impasse, Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Matiang'i confirmed.

The delegation led by Matiang'i received a warm welcome at Mogadishu's Aden Adde airport from senior Somali government officials. 

Tensions have been high in Mandera following the clashes between Somali National Army [SNA] and Jubaland forces last Monday, which partly spilled over to Kenya.

With Somalia accusing KDF of "protecting" Jubaland troops, Mandera Governor Ali Roba asked Kenyan government to "intervene urgently", adding that businesses had been interrupted in the region.

Dr. Fred Matiang'i, Kenya's Interior Minister, confirmed that Uhuru dispatched the delegation to Mogadishu, where they are set to hold meetings with Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, the president of the federal government of Somalia.

"Following the recent wave of security challenges along the Kenya-Somalia border, some senior state officers and I have been dispatched by H.E. President Kenyatta to meet his counterpart, H.E. @M_Farmaajo, with a view to ironing out the persistent cross-border issues," he said in a tweet.

Members constituting the delegation were not immediately revealed by Dr. Matiang'i, a "Mr. Fix It" for Kenyatta, but it was clear that he is leading the powerful delegation to Villa Somalia.

But a source privy to recent development hinted that a number of MPs from the northeastern part of the country were part of the delegation since "the region is bearing the brunt of the skirmishes" along the border.

Others in the delegation include Foreign Affairs minister Raychelle Omamo, her defense counterpart Dr. Monica Juma, Principal Secretaries Karanja Kibicho and Macharia Kamau among others.

Last week, eleven MPs from northeastern Kenya met President Farmajo in Mogadishu but were temporarily held by authorities in Kenya for jetting out without clearance.

But the delegation, which maintained that it discussed the security situation in northeastern and Al-Shabaab menace, would later be vindicated by Parliament speaker Justine Muturi over the controversial trip.

Intelligence sources had linked the MPs with a meeting with Somalia spy chief Fahad Yasin, a powerful figure within the Somali government, who is believed to be the brainchild behind the disputed deployment of SNA troops to Gedo.

Somalia has persistently accused Kenya of interfering with its 'domestic affairs" and even threatened to take the matter to UNSC, according to a statement issued by Mr. Dahir Osman, the Somalia ambassador to the UN.

But in a rejoinder, Uhuru blamed SNA of "flagrant breach and total disregard of international laws" besides accusing the troops of "harassing and destroying" properties of Kenyan citizens in Mandera.

SNA raids, Uhuru said, "amounts to an unwarranted attack by foreign soldiers with the intention of provoking Kenya". KDF troops, he added, "acted in restraint because Kenya cherishes peace".

Shortly after Uhuru's concern, Farmajo on Wednesday placed a phone call, where they discussed the current impasse among other diplomatic matters, Villa Somalia said in a tweet.

The two discussed "ways to jointly work on border security and send committees from both nations to hold talks on strengthening diplomatic relations" including trade ties.

Farmajo and Uhuru, Villa Somalia added, "acknowledged that border security is shared responsibility which revolved around mutual interest" for the benefit of both countries.

The Somalia president is under persistent pressure within his country, with federal states accusing him of "plot for illegal take over" by imposing his "loyalists" ahead of December polls.

For instance, Ahmed Madobe, the Jubaland leaders, on Saturday called for a truce, but accused the federal government of "behaving like Al-Shabaab" by castigating its critics.

Both Kenya and the US have raised concerns about the recent clashes at Balad-Hawo, insisting that they will "pave the way for Al-Shabaab resurgence" despite efforts to degrade the militants.

Jubaland has often been used as a buffer zone by Kenya in the war against Al-Shabaab, although Farmajo has often expressed reservations, accusing KDF of "imposing" Madobe on the people.

GAROWE ONLINE