GOVERNMENT RAIDS SAMBURU CATTLE, STAGE SET FOR

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 NAIROBI 000551 SIPDIS E.O.12958: N /A TAGS: PGOV PHUM KCRM KCOR KE SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT RAIDS SAMBURU CATTLE, STAGE SET FOR MORE TRIBAL CONFLICT REF: 08 NAIROBI 2721 -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. In response to complaints of the theft of 560 head of livestock by Samburu raiders, Kenyan security forces staged a major livestock roundup operation in and around Samburu District at the end of February that netted a total of approximately 4,000 animals, none of which reportedly belonged to the complainants. Instead of returning the animals, police reportedly sold and/or distributed them to people who claimed to have been victims of animal thefts by the Samburu. Tensions in the area are high: livestock raiders have reportedly injured and killed a number of people; security forces may have used excessive force to obtain the livestock; and non-Samburu tribes have reportedly accepted or purchased animals that do not belong to them. This sets the stage for future Samburu raids against the Garre (ethnic Somalis) and Meru, a prospect made more alarming in light of the large numbers of small arms (legal and illegal) in the area. We are following the issue closely in light of the complaints received by AmCits with connections to the area, the presence of a USAID- funded project in the eye of the storm, and our ongoing efforts to help end the violent cycle of livestock raids and counter-attacks in upper Eastern Province. End Summary. -------------- Livestock Raids: Nothing New -------------- ¶2. Livestock raiding has been a centerpiece of activity among the youth of Kenya's herding tribes since time immemorial. As Kenya modifies its governance structure to transform into a modern state, state mechanisms (like police and courts) are gradually replacing traditional mechanisms (like elders' councils) to manage conflict and insecurity. This transition is far from complete in Kenya's arid and semi-arid areas, however, since state security forces have never provided a presence robust enough to make a difference (reftel). This leaves a substantial security gap. ¶3. The lack of an effective police presence in Kenya's more remote areas has been a bone of contention between those who prefer to have state security forces deal with livestock raiders and government officials who lack the resources and skills to carry out their mandate. The recent events in Samburu District show that the police are no panacea to the complex problems faced by those living in Kenya's arid lands. Generally speaking, police are ill- equipped, poorly paid, and have little to no training to deal with such situations. -------------- VIPs Complain, Government Acts? -------------- ¶4. Livestock raiders from areas around Isiolo stepped up their activities in February, stealing livestock and attacking (sometimes fatally) the herders who protected them. Meru livestock owners reportedly lost 560 animals in these raids. ¶5. Kenyan police do try to act on reports of stolen animals and have developed special Anti-Stock Theft Units do so, but the situation around Isiolo in February escalated into a particularly aggressive livestock recovery operation that at one point included the use of military helicopters. Several factors were likely at play: the political pull of some of the complainants (reportedly two prominent former government officials - an election commissioner and a magistrate),the fatal shooting of a police officer involved in the initial recovery operation, and the February 23 attack in Samburu District of a security convoy carrying the Samburu District Commissioner and two Officers in Charge of District Police forces (Isiolo and Igembe Districts). -------------- Seven Eyes For an Eye NAIROBI 00000551 002 OF 003 -------------- ¶6. Police have told us that no innocent citizens were harassed or had their animals taken, but we have heard reports to the contrary. Government security forces reportedly collected as many as 4,000 animals from Samburu herders, although only 560 or so had been reported to have been stolen from the Meru complainants. A staff member of a DfID-funded pastoralist support program told poloff that none of the 4,000 animals collected were subsequently identified as having been stolen from Meru owners. (Note: Livestock identification is reasonably easy, as each owner marks his animals with distinctive symbols. End Note.) ¶7. We have heard multiple reports that police took the livestock collected from the recovery operation in Samburu to Isiolo, where they were distributed to Garre (ethnic Somalis) and Meru who claimed to have lost livestock to Samburu raiders. We have also heard that some of the extra livestock were sold by police to willing buyers. ¶8. Although they are still unconfirmed, some of the reports of the government's collection methods also raise concerns about human rights abuses: helicopters firing at civilians, the beating of an elderly woman who tried to prevent police from taking her livestock, and the fatal shooting of a man who tried to do the same. (Note: We have seen photographs of one police and two army helicopters purportedly operating in the area, a photo of police officers tear- gassing a crowd, and a photo of a man who claimed to have been shot in the leg by police. End Note.) -------------- Stage Set for More Tribal Conflict -------------- ¶9. Government-appointed tribal chiefs and, more traditionally, elders' councils, can still be used to resolve raid-related conflicts. Around the same time as police were seizing livestock from the Samburu, police also took 320 head of livestock from Borana herders and delivered them to the Samburu, who complained that they had been stolen from Kulamara area. After inspecting the animals, Samburu elders accepted only one of them because none of the others bore the correct brand. A subsequent negotiation between Borana and Samburu elders resulted in an agreement: the Borana elders would identify the culprits and return the remaining 91 animals that had been stolen to the Samburu, and the Samburu would tell the police to return the 319 animals erroneously recovered. ¶10. Such a dialogue has not occurred between the Samburu and the Meru and Garre who claim to have suffered from Samburu raids. Without dialogue, future Samburu raids to recover Samburu livestock are likely. The situation is made worse by the large numbers of small arms available (both legal and illegal) to all sides. ¶11. Recent press reports indicate that neighboring communities are already trying to increase their legitimate arms supply: the government recently authorized the issuance of 300 automatic rifles to 'home guards' in Isiolo North. (Comment: While the government routinely issues weapons and ammunition to police reserve forces in areas where there is sparse security presence, the practice can easily backfire, especially in areas prone to conflict. This issue was covered well in a recent report by the Small Arms Survey in Geneva about security problems in Turkana District. The report, entitled, 'Blowback: Kenya's Illicit Ammunition Problem in Turkana North District' can be found at www.smallarmssurvey.org. End Comment.) ¶12. A USAID co-funded project, the Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT),works in areas that were at the center of this storm. The aim of the program is to secure and enhance the livelihood of Northern Kenya's pastoralist communities by conserving land, water and wildlife resources. However, there is a perception among some individuals who are not members of NRT that the Samburu, who do participate in NRT, have used NRT resources to stage raids on their neighbors. An unconfirmed press report indicating that an NRT vehicle was used in a recent Samburu raid reflects this sentiment. -------------- NAIROBI 00000551 003 OF 003 Comment -------------- ¶13. We are closely tracking the developments in this area, not least because of the concerns addressed to us by Amcits with ties to the area (including ownership of cattle that were seized by police and sponsorships of Samburu children through NGOs). The issues in Isiolo and Samburu are similar -- and related -- to the cycle of livestock raiding and revenge attacks in Marsabit (reftel),and we as a mission continue to focus on how we can help ease tensions and promote dialogue in these areas. ¶14. For starters, we have intensified the frequency of our conversations with our partners at Northern Rangelands Trust - not only to garner information about events on the ground, but also to encourage NRT's existing peace-building and conflict resolution efforts. ¶15. We will continue to look into allegations of abuse by Kenyan security forces and intervene with officials as appropriate. RANNEBERGER