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Kenya: Agencies Sound Alarm Over Arms
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The Nation (Nairobi)
23 April 2008
Posted to the web 22 April 2008
Abdulsamad Ali
Nairobi
Kenya's security agencies have raised concern over an influx of illegal arms as a result of fighting between Islamist-led insurgents and government troops in Mogadishu, Somalia.
Kenya's intelligence sources is particularly concerned about the militia's new tactic of raiding villages and small towns for arms in the battle that has claimed nearly 85 lives.
Wrong hands
The intelligence service is concerned small arms could find their way into Kenya and end up on wrong hands.
"What has been happening in Somalia since the beginning of the year poses serious security challenges on Kenya. The small arms may find their way into Kenya and be cheaply available for gangs," said an intelligence source well versed with events in Somalia.
Remnants of the Islamic Courts Union are believed to have re-grouped and are more lethal.
They have been raiding villages and towns overnight and leaving the next day after collecting arms.
Recent takeover of Jowhar town left security organs astounded, said the source, because the ICU escaped before the country's Ethiopian-backed army could fight back.
"This is a new tactic that is aimed at wiping all weapons that could pose a threat to their long term strategy of taking over Somalia from the Ethiopian-backed military," said the source.
Security threat
The Regional Centre on Small Arms and Light Arms asks the Government to beef up security at the border because "it is very difficult to control what is going on in Somalia".
The centre's public relations officers, Ms Angela Wadeywa, said the fighting was a security threat.
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Police spokesman Eric Kiraithe said they will beef up security on the borders to block arms from entering the country.
"We have enough arms that are in illegal hands and we can not allow any more to get here," he said.
The ICU, a movement which ousted warlords from Mogadishu in 2006, briefly ruled most parts of the country before being defeated by Ethiopian forces last year.
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