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