July: a rough, rough month for the Samburu
[Note: originally (7/18/09) this was posted as a comment to the prior blog entry, but now I have the ability to blog directly. Roxanne R-W]
I am going to post here a string of e-mails from Tina in the Samburu District of Northern Kenya to me (Roxanne Reddington-Wilde, a fellow Cambridge College Professor of hers): several days each week she reports news of attacks happening there. I know how I feel as I read her e-mails, often just as I am going in to teach a class: anxious and agitated. I can’t imagine how she feels, hearing gunfire about her. Your reading of this comment makes me feel less helpless. More important, I am reporting back to the Samburu people and Tina: your reading this makes them no longer feel invisible.
I just received this e-mail (7/17). I presume it was sent Friday 7/18 or perhaps today (it wasn’t Tina’s normal e-mail address and the dating function was off (4/15/09 it said) :
“Fighting has broken out in Isiolo, according to a Kenya army leutenant who just phoned me from there moments ago, with the Borana – Somali attacking and shooting innocent Turkana and Samburu people who were trading in the city. There is chaos right now (I could hear the gunfire and screaming in the background). It is uncertain how many are dead and injured, but I will keep you informed as I learn more throughout the afternoon.
Tina”
Tina headlined this e-mail: “Monday, July 12th Attack”
”
Hi,
Apologies for late report. I could not charge my phone on my solar device for some reason, in spite of much sun, so it had to be walked over 20Km to be charged!
On Monday at approximately 6 PM, a group of Somali Borana raiders attacked a Turkana community in Ngara Mara, a small village between Archers Post and Isiolo, accusing the Turkana community of sympathizing with the Samburu tribe. They stole 450 cattle and kidnapped 2 children, again reminiscent of the first raid In February in which 300 cattle and 2 children were kidnapped (those children were later found dead with their throats slit.)
Tonight, according to county council officer Raphael Leilikei of Archer’s Post, the 2 young Turkana children, ages 8 and 9, were found murdered in a similar fashion, throats slit. The cattle have not been recovered and there has been no police response whatsoever, of course.
Will keep you updated. Right now we are trying to rescue someone injured on the mountain, Mt Ololokwe, possible green mamba, so must rush off. This is why we need phone service here- which we DID have at one time-or better radio equip.- to call Flying Doctors. We suspect the phone signal was deliberately dismantled as it deteriorated just weeks before the first attack and one of the only other actions taken by the police at that time was to remove all radio communication equipment from the conservancies so they could not warn people of the oncoming forces. I doubt he’ll make it if it is a mamba. Never quiet in Samburu!
Hope you are well,
Tina
And from Saturday, July 4th itself. While I was hearing kids happily setting off fireworks in the dark, Tina and others were hiding in a cave from attack. This was especially hard to read just before going into my Monday evening archaeology class (when I received it).
“When I get near a town, I will give you access to more photos (can you check to be sure I haven’t already?). I can’t do that from a BlackBerry in mountain caves. Another attack near here 50 minutes ago. No details yet but the Moran [the warrior "age group" of Samburu young men: Rox] are holding off the Borana-Somali, asked for back up and to notify the MP, DO, councilors, and others to assist, as of course the police are not available to assist. So this is the 2nd attack 10 days!
A few days before that:
“Sorry this sent out before I was done. That’s the problem with these tiny BlackBerry keyboards!
…Anyway, as far as this latest attack, which happened in the middle of the night on Monday, 5 are now dead including a young girl, and 8 more critically wounded. This happened about 43 miles NW of Lerata and while they slept. Over 1000 cattle were taken, which surprised me because I thought ALL had been taken. They may have been travelling through to or from a different region, though, as the severe drought has many people seeking grass and water for their cows across the entire country. I have no idea! It’s a remote area though.
That’s all for now!
Best wishes,
Tina”
And to think I used to disparage Blackberries! It’s the only think that is getting the news out from the Samburu district. Now I am on the hunt for a hand-crank Blackberry charger to try to get to her so she doesn’t just have to rely on the solar charger (on the other hand, with the drought going on in the district: Tina doesn’t have to worry about a lack of sun). The Samburu need so much more, however: they need food desperately and their cattle back or replaces. If you can donate, please do. The money is going directly to the Samburu themselves (any charger I find will be out of my own pocket for Tina).
