By Osinde Obare

Nearly ten people have been killed in revenge attacks between Kenyan and Ethiopian fishermen at Lake Turkana.

Local DC Jack Obuo confirmed the attacks on Monday, but could not verify the number of casualties.

"There has been fighting since last week, but I am not sure how many lives have been lost because the clashes took place in the waters where the two groups fish," he said.

He added: "I dispatched officers to Todanyany to ascertain the killings and verified two deaths. But the figure of casualties could be higher."

The DC said the clashes began on May 27, when Merrile tribesmen from southern Ethiopian raided a Turkana manyatta in Kokuro, but were repulsed by the herders.

During the raid, two attackers were killed. Two days later, Ethiopian fishermen charged at Kenyans for allegedly stealing their fishing gear, prompting a fierce fight that left five Kenyans and two Ethiopians dead.

Stolen fishing nets

A peace activist, Mr Johnson Akamai, said: "The problem started when Ethiopians claimed Kenyans had stolen their fishing nets."

The Turkana revenged later, killing nearly 30 Ethiopian fishermen, fishing near Lake Turkana delta.

Both groups are armed with AK-47 rifles and clashes are common over the fishing boundary, said Akamai.

Sources indicated the hostilities have hampered fishing along River Omo and Lake Turkana.

The DC said he would soon meet his counterpart from Jinka District (Ethiopia) to discuss the dispute.

"I have contacted my counterpart in Jinka to verify the number of people killed and resolve the row," he told The Standard.

Volatile region

For more than a decade, peace has been elusive along the border, with cattle raids and fishing disputes claiming hundreds of lives.

In 1998, a Kenyan police post at Todanyang was attacked and police officers killed by armed warriors.

August is a critical month when Merrile warriors undergo circumcision and plan ‘ritual’ raids.

They warriors often kill and chop off organs of their victims (ears, nose or toes), which is a sign of bravery.

The Government has promised to deploy more security personnel to quell the fighting and secure the border.

Residents now claim the raids have become commonplace and they want the Government to deploy more police officers urgently.