'Mass grave' in Muslim-majority province shocks Kenya

By Andrew Ross

NAIROBI, Kenya

The discovery of yet another alleged mass grave in Kenya’s Muslim-majority North Eastern Province has sent shockwaves throughout the country, where Kenyan security forces are already facing criticism for their suspected roles in extrajudicial killings.

On Sunday, Kenyan security forces discovered at least a dozen graves on the outskirts of Mandera town in the province while they were searching for a missing mother of five.

A senior senator from the area and local residents alleged that the graves in fact belonged to Muslim victims killed by Kenyan security forces themselves.

“One of the women [victims at the gravesite] has been identified; she was arrested by people who introduced themselves as the Kenya police, I really don’t know who is fooling who, but as Muslims we are living in fear,” Abdi Fatah, a resident from Mandera town, told Anadolu Agency via telephone.

“We have been crying that we are being targeted, but report after report, no one comes to our aid; all the human rights groups have said that this is happening,” Fatah said.

Mandera Senator Billow Kerrow also strongly condemned the murders, dismissing security forces' assessments of “clan conflicts” as a possible reason behind the killings.

“I want to express my utter disgust and condemnation of the extrajudicial killings by our security agents once again,” Kerrow said.

“The discovery of mass graves in Mandera yesterday evening is a clear indication that this evil process of extermination of suspects in total disregard of due process is the norm rather the exception,” he added.

He also said that leaders from Mandera County will meet Monday to plan their course of action, noting the fact that at least 12 graves had been found at the site so far.

“Clearly, this has gone too far and must stop. It’s time we say no, not just as leaders but as a society too.”

Kenyan police denied the allegations.

“Anybody who could have perpetrated such an atrocity must face the full face of the law, I am trying to ask the commanders where the mass graves are situated, for now we are not aware of any mass graves but have received reports of the bodies being found in Mandera,” police spokesman said.

This is not the first time that state security forces have been put on the spot for allegedly carrying out extrajudicial killings; some key findings from a 2014 UN report also noted that since 2010 there have been a large number of extrajudicial killings in the country.

In August, Muslim human rights activists also released reports saying that over 100 young Muslim men went missing in Mandera county alone after they were arrested by security officers; most are feared to have been killed off extrajudicially.