Catholic Information Service for Africa (Nairobi)
Evangeline Munyi
21 November 2008
Lodwar — Some 5,000 people have been displaced in north-eastern province following the killing of three Kenyans by a suspected Ethiopian gunman, the Catholic diocese of Lodwar says.
The Ethiopian shot and killed three members of the Turkana community on Monday in what was said to have been a minor quarrel. The attacker is suspected to be from the Merile community that lives in Kenya and Ethiopia.
Two more people were shot dead on Thursday, but it is not clear whether or not the latest incident is connected to the earlier one.
Following the Monday attack, thousands of Turkana have fled from Todonyang to Lowarengak, some 40 kilometers away, for fear of revenge attacks.
Some Kenya Police Reserve (KPR) officers have been deployed at Todonyang to ensure security for the remaining few people. The Catholic parish priest, his assistant and staff of a church-run dispensary are still there.
The parish priest, Fr. Fernando Aguirre, said there are now less than 70 people left in Todonyang as most have fled the area.
Kenyan authorities are trying to arrest the Ethiopian attacker who is said to be a convicted criminal in his country.
The incident has disrupted the peace that the Ethiopian Merile and Kenyan Turkana in Todonyang have enjoyed for the last two years.
The elders of the two communities, government and church officials have urged the residents to treat the attack as an isolated case and to not let the law take its course.
"Every one of us is the problem and also every one is the solution. We should encourage more trade, sports and other activities that bring the two communities together in a peaceful manner instead of pointing fingers at one another," Fr. Aguirre urged.
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