A deadly attack by suspected Ethiopian militia from the Dassanech community on Saturday evening has left an unconfirmed number of Kenyan fishermen dead in Todonyang, Turkana County, near the Kenya-Ethiopia border. The ambush, which took place in the waters of Lake Turkana near River Omo, saw heavily armed attackers indiscriminately open fire on the fishermen, escalating long-standing cross-border tensions.
Authorities have yet to determine the exact number of casualties, though reports suggest that more than a dozen people may have lost their lives. On Sunday afternoon, the National Police Service (NPS) stated that investigations were ongoing regarding “an alleged clash between Turkana and Dassanech fishermen at Lopemukat Common Waters” along the border.
Kenya’s Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen acknowledged the gravity of the situation, confirming that some Kenyans had been harmed. “Some of our citizens are unaccounted for, and we are working with the Ethiopian government and the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) to resolve this border issue. There should be no cause for alarm… calm has returned in the area,” Murkomen assured.
Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo further clarified that the attack occurred near the border on the Ethiopian side. He urged the public to disregard speculative casualty figures, stating, “Ignore the numbers being peddled; that is not the correct position. We will share official information once we confirm everything.”
Some reports indicate that the attack was retaliatory in nature, following the killing of Dassanech fishermen by suspected Turkana bandits near River Omo earlier on Saturday morning. This long-standing conflict between the Turkana and Dassanech communities over fishing rights and water resources has led to periodic outbreaks of violence, exacerbated by competition for dwindling resources in the arid region.
Security agencies from both Kenya and Ethiopia are now engaged in diplomatic discussions to prevent further bloodshed. The Kenya Defence Forces have been placed on high alert, while local leaders are calling for an urgent resolution to the persistent border conflicts.
This incident underscores the fragile security situation along the Kenya-Ethiopia border, where disputes over resources and historical grievances continue to fuel deadly confrontations. Residents remain on edge, awaiting further official communication from the government regarding the casualties and measures to ensure their safety.
