Kenya's border with Somalia will re-open in April almost 15 years after it shut because of attacks by Islamist militant group al-Shabab, President William Ruto has announced. Based in Somalia, the group has masterminded a series of deadly assaults in Kenya including one on a shopping centre in the capital, Nairobi, killing 67 people in 2013 and another at a university in Garissa two years later, killing 148.
The plan to reopen the border has been suggested before in 2023, but further attacks postponed the arrangements. Ruto stated that the intention to re-open two crossings follows years of security assessments and emphasized that there would be a heavy deployment of security forces to ensure safety.
In addition to concerns about safety, Kenya has expressed worries over illicit weapons and other contraband being smuggled across the border. Ruto announced the re-opening plan during a visit to Mandera, a border town with a large population of ethnic Somalis. He stated that it is unacceptable for Kenyans in Mandera to remain isolated from their neighbors in Somalia due to the prolonged closure of the Mandera Border Post.
Hoping to boost cross-border trade for mutual prosperity, Ruto urged residents to cooperate in combating al-Shabab, labeling the group as 'useless' and pledging that Kenya will work together with the community to combat these criminals.
This annual review indicates the strategic importance of the border, highlighted by a history of major al-Shabab attacks, including the killing of 28 bus passengers in Mandera county in 2014 and an assault on a Nairobi hotel in 2019 that left at least 21 dead. Previously, in 2015, Kenya initiated the construction of a perimeter barrier along the 700km border due to the militant threat, though the project was halted after nearly three years.
The plan to reopen the border has been suggested before in 2023, but further attacks postponed the arrangements. Ruto stated that the intention to re-open two crossings follows years of security assessments and emphasized that there would be a heavy deployment of security forces to ensure safety.
In addition to concerns about safety, Kenya has expressed worries over illicit weapons and other contraband being smuggled across the border. Ruto announced the re-opening plan during a visit to Mandera, a border town with a large population of ethnic Somalis. He stated that it is unacceptable for Kenyans in Mandera to remain isolated from their neighbors in Somalia due to the prolonged closure of the Mandera Border Post.
Hoping to boost cross-border trade for mutual prosperity, Ruto urged residents to cooperate in combating al-Shabab, labeling the group as 'useless' and pledging that Kenya will work together with the community to combat these criminals.
This annual review indicates the strategic importance of the border, highlighted by a history of major al-Shabab attacks, including the killing of 28 bus passengers in Mandera county in 2014 and an assault on a Nairobi hotel in 2019 that left at least 21 dead. Previously, in 2015, Kenya initiated the construction of a perimeter barrier along the 700km border due to the militant threat, though the project was halted after nearly three years.
