AFRICA/KENYA - Coadjutor Bishop of Garissa: "One is trying to destabilize the north of Kenya"

Nairobi (Agenzia Fides) - "The people targeted by the Shabaab are skilled workers (doctors, nurses, teachers, policemen, military, civil servants etc ...) from other parts of Kenya. Forcing them to flee means destabilizing this part of Kenyan territory", says His Exc. Mgr. Joseph Alessandro, Coadjutor Bishop of Garissa, in whose territory we find the town of Koromei in Mandera County (north-east of Kenya) where last night 36 workers of a quarry were killed by Somali Shabaab extremists.
"There is also a parish but at the moment there is no priest because of insecurity", says Mgr. Alessandro.
The Shabaab killed only non-Muslims, just like what happened in the same County on 22 November, when 28 people were killed because of their religious belonging (see Fides 24/11/2014). "The massacre on 22 November – recalls the Coadjutor Bishop - had targeted a group of people on a bus while they were returning to the places of origin for the Christmas holidays".
Recently the Episcopal Commission "Justice and Peace" were in favor of the withdrawal of thousands of civil servants and other workers from north-eastern Kenya, as a temporary measure to safeguard their lives (see Fides 01/12/2014). "I agree with a temporary withdrawal of these workers. In fact already the teachers' union made a request of this nature. But if those who have left do not return, you will have very serious social problems, with schools and hospitals without staff", said Mgr. Alessandro.
According to the Bishop, "there are many reasons behind these attacks. The Shabaab claim that in this way they want to force the government of Nairobi to withdraw its troops that they are fighting in Somalia. Finally there are also economic reasons, related to the protection of traffic controlled by Shabaab. The religious motivation is there but it is not the only one.
Besides, in Somalia the population is entirely Muslim, and even there the Shabaab commit massacres", concludes Mgr. Alessandro. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 02/12/2014)