Armed foreigners raid village for the second time

About 30 heavily-armed Ethiopia security personnel raided Lataka village in Sololo and arrested one person, for the second time in a month, on Thursday.

Reports from the area indicate that the armed men were targeting area Assistant Chief Roba Duba but they could not find him at his home during the 6.30am incident.

They proceeded into the village and raided Qala Jirmo’s house before arresting him.

Jirmo 70, is a person living with disabilities.

Locals claimed that the foreign security officers were armed with AK47 rifles and bullets.

The locals said the men were allegedly looking for Government guns and sympathisers of the Oromo Liberation Front.

Police laxity

Lataka village is situated about 30 killometres from Sololo town and about 15 kilometres from the Kenya-Ethiopia border.

The village had an approximate population of 1500 and there is no Government security post with the nearest AP post at Uran, some six kilometeres away.

Local leaders declined to comment on the frequent attacks citing reprisals from foreign security agencies.

Somo Abduba, a resident, said police arrived at the village at 12.15pm, six hours after the raid.

He blamed police for laxity.

Mr Abduba, who is also area youth chairman, said lives of civil servants and Kenya Police Reservists (KPR) in the area are at risk.

During the raid, several men reportedly fled to the nearby bush.

Confirming the incident, Sololo Deputy County Commissioner Raphael Muiruri said police officers are on the ground.

“We have already sent police officers to the village and also informed KDF on the raid in order for them to intervene,” Mr Muiruri said on phone.

Muiruri said about 30 armed men invaded the village on Thursday morning adding that the border incursions are frequent and a matter of concern in the region.

Mr Muiruri said the assistant chief escaped arrest and the motives of the raid are yet to be established but investigations have been launched.

In late May, another batch of uniformed men attacked the village and disarmed a KPR officer and roughed up locals.