MOGADISHU (SD) – Kenyan government has issued directive to killed sympathisers and al-Shabaab suspects in northeastern region near the border with Somalia.

During a meeting with leaders from the region, North Eastern Regional Commissioner Nicodemus Ndalana said the security agencies will not hesitate to eliminate people suspected to have links with al-Shabaab militants.

“Those in this area are locals. Someone cannot come from Kismayu, hide here and even know the landscape without the knowledge of the locals. There must be youth showing them around,” Ndalana said. “As government, we are not going to have mercy on anybody including al-Shabaab sympathisers. The remedy to tame al-Shabaab is death by bullet.”

Ndalana who is the top representative of the national government in the region stated that the solution to this menace is to come up with a homegrown solution to enable the timely sharing of intelligence.

The official who is top representative of the national government urged the public to work with the security agencies in the fight against al-Shabaab militants.

The directive was condemned by the local leaders of Mandera county including the governor of the county, Ali Roba who asked the government to build trust with citizens as a way of strengthening information sharing avenues.

Mandera has been borne the brunt of grenade and gun attacks in the last several years since Kenya took its troops to Somalia to fight the al-Shabaab group.

Al-Shabaab group has been attacking areas along Kenya-Somalia border while targeting mostly non- locals working in the region.

Many people, majority of them non- locals have as a result lost their lives with others left with permanent injuries.