Al-Shabaab obstructs process of reopening Kenyan border with Somalia

Ahmed Adel

Kenya announced the postponement of reopening its long-closed borders with Somalia following a number of attacks that took place on its soil attributed to the Somali terrorist Al-Shabaab movement.

Kenyan Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki said that the planned reopening of the border points in Mandera, Lamu and Garissa, in addition to the long border with Somalia, will not move forward as previously announced in May.

The Kenyan decision came after the killing of five civilians and eight policemen in separate attacks near the border last month attributed to Al-Shabaab.

Re-opening of three border points

In May 2023, following a high-level ministerial meeting in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, officials from the two countries agreed to reopen three border points in stages.

The Kenyan intelligence director secretly visited the city of Kismayo in the Somali state of Jubaland bordering Kenya, where he met with officials to discuss controlling the security situation, which has deteriorated due to the recent terrorist attacks of Al-Shabaab.

According to Somali media reports, Kenyan intelligence arrested a Kenyan businessman in the city of Mombasa following accusations that he was associated with Al-Shabaab.

Kenya’s National Counter Terrorism Center revealed that the businessman was providing logistical support to Al-Shabaab and was part of a terrorist network that smuggled weapons, equipment and ammunition through a container shipment brought to Somalia through the port of Mogadishu.

The Somali army and tribal fighters are launching military operations against Al-Shabaab, and the authorities have announced the restoration of control over many areas, as well as the killing of hundreds of the terrorist movement’s militants.

In February 2023, the leaders of Somalia, Kenya, Djibouti and Ethiopia agreed during a consultative summit held in Mogadishu to carry out a joint operation to liberate the remaining Somali lands from the grip of terrorism.

The results of the summit included joint planning and organizing a strong operations campaign in the confrontation countries and targeting important areas where Al-Shabaab is present, especially in southern and central Somalia, in addition to cooperation in securing border areas by preventing terrorist elements from crossing into neighboring countries, as well as establishing a joint approach for border security, ensuring legal access to commerce and popular movement.

Kenyan measures

Mohamed Ezzeddine, a researcher of African affairs, said that the Kenyan government aims, through all measures, to provide greater protection for its citizens while ensuring compliance with international obligations.

In an exclusive statement to the Reference, Ezzeddine stressed that the Kenyan government is working to take necessary measures to achieve long-term stability and security in the Horn of Africa, adding that Somalia and Kenya have raised the level of alert in their war on terrorism in coordination aimed at bridging the border gaps to counter Al-Shabaab’s attacks.