Garissa was not always restive, even though it was this week, third week of November, 2012; in 2010, the city was voted by Interpol, International Police Organization, as the safest town in East an Central Africa.
On Monday, three Kenyan Army Officers were killed while repairing their Truck in the town. Officers were part of African Union Mission In Somalia, AMISOM, reports suggest that they were either going or returning from Somalia.
Two other soldiers, according to spokesperson of Kenyan Defense Force, KDF, Colonel Cyrus Oguna, quoted by Daily Nation, who were present when soldiers were killed, did not fire back to avoid collateral damage.
Locals informed the army and police whereabouts of the assailants, subsequently, they have pursued them. As a result, security forces were able to capture a communication device, but they did't in apprehend the assailants.
Riots, according Oguna, as reported by Daily Nation, erupted after three soldiers were killed, police then used teargas canisters to disperse the rioters.
Reasons of the riots had been provided by a news report posted by BBC in its website on the same day riots occurred: soldiers started to beat and detain people after their comrades were killed.
In fact, according to the BBC news article, titled "Kenyan soldiers 'rampage' after Garissa shooting" soldiers went to a local mosque and asked people to come out and then they physically attacked them.
The BBC article did not specify who set fire on Suuq Mugdi market in Garissa, but the VOA Somali section reporter in Garissa, Mohamed Farah Shire claims, in a report aired on VOA Somali section on november 20th, 2012, security forces in the town did not allow people to extinguish the fire, leading to destruction of 80% of the market.
Farah Moalim, deputy speaker of Kenya's Parliament, speaking to VOA, Somali section, on november 23rd, 2012, claimed that the army, and not the police, attacked the town, after the soldiers were killed just outside the town, close to the Kismayu Road, looting properties, setting one of the biggest markets In the town on fire, Suuq Mugdi, a market, according to the speaker, that houses three thousand shops, wounding people and so on. The speaker went on to say , albeit in an unsure manner, soldiers raped women.
All in all, Forty five people haven been wounded on monday, the day soldiers were killed, two of them sustained gun shots, according to a report filed by BBC, relying on medical officials in Garissa. Beating and other forms of physical assault , appear to explain wounds sustained by people admitted to Garissa medical facilities, since only two were accounted for by gun shots.
Substantive damages have been sustained by businesses in Garissa.
Attackers fired at the army next day, tuesday november 20th, 2012, but again, according to Oguna, they did not fire back ,they just prepared themselves to defend by taking up better positions.
On Tuesday afternoon, however, 15 more people were admitted to the Garissa Provincial Hospital, six or eight of them sustained gun shots, according to a report posted on BBC site on Tuesday afternoon, November 20th, 2012.
Among the people wounded were students of County High School, a school close to a military base.
Circumstances under which students were wounded with gun shots is serious to say the least; according to the head of the school, Hussein Yarow Ali, as reported by BBC on Tuesday, soldiers came to the school in the morning and used rifles to injure students, some of whom were revising exams for submission. There was a tension between the students and the army, the headmaster claims, before the gun shots.
The account of the headmaster raises questions. According to the BBC Somali reporter in the town, no business or school was open on Tuesday, and the BBC report in which the headmaster was cited also confirms this point, the city became a ghost town; if so, how is it possible that some students went to school and took exams.
This account does not also provide explanations as to what led the army to use fire against the students, except the tension that had developed between them.
The situation requires substantive investigations, and Kenyan parliement has assigned a committee to carry out investigations and report.
On hopeful note, the Prime Minister of Kenya, on November 24, 2012, has ruled out the possibility of well-wishers raising funds for the victims of Garissa crisis, instead he ordered the state to pay compensations to the people who have been negatively affected by the crisis.
On Monday, three Kenyan Army Officers were killed while repairing their Truck in the town. Officers were part of African Union Mission In Somalia, AMISOM, reports suggest that they were either going or returning from Somalia.
Two other soldiers, according to spokesperson of Kenyan Defense Force, KDF, Colonel Cyrus Oguna, quoted by Daily Nation, who were present when soldiers were killed, did not fire back to avoid collateral damage.
Locals informed the army and police whereabouts of the assailants, subsequently, they have pursued them. As a result, security forces were able to capture a communication device, but they did't in apprehend the assailants.
Riots, according Oguna, as reported by Daily Nation, erupted after three soldiers were killed, police then used teargas canisters to disperse the rioters.
Reasons of the riots had been provided by a news report posted by BBC in its website on the same day riots occurred: soldiers started to beat and detain people after their comrades were killed.
In fact, according to the BBC news article, titled "Kenyan soldiers 'rampage' after Garissa shooting" soldiers went to a local mosque and asked people to come out and then they physically attacked them.
The BBC article did not specify who set fire on Suuq Mugdi market in Garissa, but the VOA Somali section reporter in Garissa, Mohamed Farah Shire claims, in a report aired on VOA Somali section on november 20th, 2012, security forces in the town did not allow people to extinguish the fire, leading to destruction of 80% of the market.
Farah Moalim, deputy speaker of Kenya's Parliament, speaking to VOA, Somali section, on november 23rd, 2012, claimed that the army, and not the police, attacked the town, after the soldiers were killed just outside the town, close to the Kismayu Road, looting properties, setting one of the biggest markets In the town on fire, Suuq Mugdi, a market, according to the speaker, that houses three thousand shops, wounding people and so on. The speaker went on to say , albeit in an unsure manner, soldiers raped women.
All in all, Forty five people haven been wounded on monday, the day soldiers were killed, two of them sustained gun shots, according to a report filed by BBC, relying on medical officials in Garissa. Beating and other forms of physical assault , appear to explain wounds sustained by people admitted to Garissa medical facilities, since only two were accounted for by gun shots.
Substantive damages have been sustained by businesses in Garissa.
Attackers fired at the army next day, tuesday november 20th, 2012, but again, according to Oguna, they did not fire back ,they just prepared themselves to defend by taking up better positions.
On Tuesday afternoon, however, 15 more people were admitted to the Garissa Provincial Hospital, six or eight of them sustained gun shots, according to a report posted on BBC site on Tuesday afternoon, November 20th, 2012.
Among the people wounded were students of County High School, a school close to a military base.
Circumstances under which students were wounded with gun shots is serious to say the least; according to the head of the school, Hussein Yarow Ali, as reported by BBC on Tuesday, soldiers came to the school in the morning and used rifles to injure students, some of whom were revising exams for submission. There was a tension between the students and the army, the headmaster claims, before the gun shots.
The account of the headmaster raises questions. According to the BBC Somali reporter in the town, no business or school was open on Tuesday, and the BBC report in which the headmaster was cited also confirms this point, the city became a ghost town; if so, how is it possible that some students went to school and took exams.
This account does not also provide explanations as to what led the army to use fire against the students, except the tension that had developed between them.
The situation requires substantive investigations, and Kenyan parliement has assigned a committee to carry out investigations and report.
On hopeful note, the Prime Minister of Kenya, on November 24, 2012, has ruled out the possibility of well-wishers raising funds for the victims of Garissa crisis, instead he ordered the state to pay compensations to the people who have been negatively affected by the crisis.
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