Simmering Deadly Kenyans conflict with Ethiopia- unknown deaths

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Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen on Thursday February 27 revealed how a Kenyan who went rogue and attacked their Ethiopian neighbours, killing three, sparked a counter-attack that saw two dead and at least 20 still missing.

This, as two bodies that were recovered in Ethiopia on Wednesday in connection with the weekend Todonyang killings were buried in a mass graveyard where 42 Kenyans massacred during the May 2, 2011, broad daylight attack by militia from Ethiopia were buried. 

The two bodies were recovered on Wednesday following a search and rescue operation at Lopeimukat village along the border of Kenya and Ethiopia.

Mr Murkomen had earlier Wednesday confirmed the bodies of a man and a woman estimated to be between the late 20s and early 30s, were recovered after the Ethiopian government gave Kenyan officials full access to the area, aiding the recovery and the continued search for the missing persons and boats.

On a further update on Thursday Mr Murkomen, while confirming the burial, called for calm and patience as the search and rescue of missing Kenyan fishermen continues.

He said an autopsy was done on the two bodies before they were buried.

Mr Murkomen also confirmed earlier reports that the Saturday incident was a retaliatory attack.

He said a suspected criminal from Kenya killed three on the Ethiopian side, triggering a retaliatory attack.

“On Saturday, in the unfortunate incident, there was a rogue Kenyan who went to cause problems on the Ethiopian side from Kenya and the information we have now is that he killed three from the Ethiopian side,” said Mr Murkomen.

“We are yet to establish what happened and the number of those injured. We believe from the reports of missing persons filed by relatives we have more than 20 people still missing,” the CS said.

Read: Todonyang: The forsaken end of Kenya?

Mr Murkomen lauded the process that brokered a deal between Kenyan and Ethiopian authorities to allow access that resulted in the recovery of the two bodies.

This is after the government set up mechanisms to engage the Ethiopian authorities to facilitate access to the area, following his Monday visit to Todonyang.

According to the CS, the fact that the incident occurred outside Kenya’s territory complicated the initial response effort.

“The search and rescue of the missing persons is on and I will inform the country accordingly on progress,” he said on Thursday.

Locals said the recovered two bodies had gunshot wounds.

"After recovery, we transported the bodies from Lopeimukat village to Todonyang where we on the same day in the evening buried at the graveyard established by locals and Our Lady Queen of Peace Todonyang Mission of Catholic Diocese of Lodwar that evening," a local peace crusader Achegei Abdi Adan told Nation.Africa on Thursday.

The search and rescue operation by security personnel in Turkana is being supported by volunteers from border villages and Kenya Red Cross officials and local leaders, led by Turkana North MP Ekwom Nabuin and opinion leaders led by Humphrey Amoni.

https://nation.africa/kenya/news/-rogue-kenyan-killed-three-ethiopians-turkana-counter-attack--4945316#story