MOMBASA, Kenya - Raiders killed villagers and burnt homes in an early morning attack in Kenya's volatile coastal Tana Delta region that left 28 people dead, police said Friday.
They said the raid appeared to have been a revenge attack following clashes between farmers from the Pokomo tribe and semi-nomadic Orma tribesmen.
They have fought for years over access to grazing, farmland and water in the coastal region.
More than 100 people died in a series of attacks in the area earlier this year.
Robert Kitur, Coast Region deputy police chief, told reporters that the villagers seemed to have been ready for the attack.
"About 150 Pokomo raiders attacked Kipao village, which is inhabited by the Ormas early Friday, but the Ormas appeared to have been aware and were prepared,†he said.
"A confrontation ensued and as result 19 Ormas and 9 Pokomos were killed," he added.
Sad state of affairs in the world. Now we have up to 28 familes without father/brother...violence is destroying too many people. And it will continue if we don't change the way we embark on resolving issues.
MOMBASA, Kenya, Dec 22 (Reuters) - Fifty-six people havebeen arrested on suspicion of killing 30 villagers, includingwomen and children, in a land feud on the Kenyan coast, policesaid on Saturday.The raiders, settled farmers from the Pokomo ethnic group,attacked semi-nomadic Orma pastoralists with guns, machetes andspears.The two groups have fought for years over access to grazing,farmland and water, but human rights activists blame the latestviolence on politicians seeking to drive away parts of the localpopulation they believe will vote for rivals in nationalelections due in March.Hamisi Abdul, an Orma who survived the attack by the Pokomo,said: "They hacked everyone they came across with machetes andspears and shot indiscriminately at us, even as we scampered toseek safety in the bushes. It was confusion. We didn't knowwhich direction they were coming from." Abdul, 27, is inhospital nursing two bullet wounds on his left arm and shoulder.
