Refugees in their own country

Since clashes erupted between the Borana and Gabbra tribes in 2005 thousands have been displaced. Below the stories from camps on both sides

By Morten Bonde Pedersen

22. november 2007

The manyattas are traditional Borana homesteads made of wicker wood. The roofs however are not covered with mats of woven palm leaves as is tradition amongst the Boranas, but by tarps and sacks printed ‘American red Croos’ on them.

This is not a temporary traditional Borana village built by nomads on the move in the arid lands of Northern Kenya. The people living here are anything but free and have no livestock to herd. They are squeezed together on a small plot outside of Marsabit town.

All are Boranas who have fled their hometown Kalacha, North Horr, some two years ago after being chased out by irate Gabbras.

One of them is Aidi Halake, a mother of four who managed to get away with her family. They now live in one of the manyattas and her children go to school in Marsabit. Many other kids just hang around in the camp dressed in rags, some clearly suffering from untreated skin deceases and bad colds. 

Before settling in the camp the family had for decades lived in coexistence with the Gabbras in Kalacha.

“When I lived there I never thought of tribalism. I was blind to the differences between Gabras and Boranas. Development was all I was thinking of,” says the lady who used to be a leading character in women’s groups as well as a member of the local school committee.

The peaceful existence started cracking when clashes erupted between the two tribal groups in 2003.

“During that period we heard about incidents where Boranas were killed on the way to Ethiopia, but we did not think much about it. The conflict only became an issue when we got the news of two local Boranas being killed by Gabbras who had initially gone to raid the Rendille. That created tensions. Unfortunatey the Gabbras where holding most official positions in Kalacha, for instance in the police force. This gave them a chance to collect most of the weapons we kept in our houses for our own security,” Aidi Halake narrates.

Another incident which contributed to the escalation of tensions was a harambe held by the Gabbras with the aim of collecting money to fight the Rendille. The Boranas of Kalacha were asked to contribute but refused since the Gabbras had killed Boranas just before that.

Despite growing tensions the two communties in those days were still getting along in daily life. A state which was drastically changed after the Turbi massacre in 2005 when armed Borana attacked Gabbra communities killing more than sixty of whom 22 were children.

“We heard about it, but we did not know who killed who. The Gabbras in our town claimed that the massacre was to blame on the Boranas, and soon the Gabbras started discussing how to get rid of the Boranas living in our town. It did not change their attitude that we Boranas contributed to a harambee to benefit the victims of the massacre.”

One of them is Aidi Halake, a mother of four who managed to get away with her family. They now live in one of the manyattas and her children go to school in Marsabit. Many other kids just hang around in the camp dressed in rags, some clearly suffering from untreated skin deceases and bad colds. 

Before settling in the camp the family had for decades lived in coexistence with the Gabbras in Kalacha.

“When I lived there I never thought of tribalism. I was blind to the differences between Gabras and Boranas. Development was all I was thinking of,” says the lady who used to be a leading character in women’s groups as well as a member of the local school committee.

The peaceful existence started cracking when clashes erupted between the two tribal groups in 2003.

“During that period we heard about incidents where Boranas were killed on the way to Ethiopia, but we did not think much about it. The conflict only became an issue when we got the news of two local Boranas being killed by Gabbras who had initially gone to raid the Rendille. That created tensions. Unfortunatey the Gabbras where holding most official positions in Kalacha, for instance in the police force. This gave them a chance to collect most of the weapons we kept in our houses for our own security,” Aidi Halake narrates.

Another incident which contributed to the escalation of tensions was a harambe held by the Gabbras with the aim of collecting money to fight the Rendille. The Boranas of Kalacha were asked to contribute but refused since the Gabbras had killed Boranas just before that.

Despite growing tensions the two communties in those days were still getting along in daily life. A state which was drastically changed after the Turbi massacre in 2005 when armed Borana attacked Gabbra communities killing more than sixty of whom 22 were children.

“We heard about it, but we did not know who killed who. The Gabbras in our town claimed that the massacre was to blame on the Boranas, and soon the Gabbras started discussing how to get rid of the Boranas living in our town. It did not change their attitude that we Boranas contributed to a harambee to benefit the victims of the massacre.”

The enraged discussion soon turned into action as Gabbras started torching Borana houses in the town. After a Borana man got killed, the rest took refuge in the camp of the Administrative Police. Here they did not get any comfort, Aidi Halake tells.

“The policemen were all Gabbras and they did not give us any food or shelter. The area chief in uniform even caught a Borana man and gave him to the Gabbra youth to be slaughtered.”

Aidi Halake tells of how some of the Boranas from the town fled into Ethiopia while others had to sleep in the open in the camp of the Adminitrative Police while hoping for a miracle.

Fortunately their hopes came true.

“By coincidence a convoy of GSU (General Service Unit, a branch of the police force) lorries passed. That gave us a chance to get away. But since we were people from about 20 households, there was no space to carry luggage. So we did not get out of there with anything but our souls.”

Since fleeing Kalacha the family has been living together with another 172 household in the camp outside of Marsabit.

Aidi Halake herself does not believe that she will ever return to the town where she had been living with her husband ever since they married.

She is a Christian and states that she for that reason does not believe in revenge. Although she blames the Gabbras for what has happened between the two tribes she never thinks of taking back what the Gabbras have looted from her and her family.

“I have peace at heart and am ready to begin a new life here,” as she says.

In stead her hope is one day to be able to buy a plot and start tilling the land somewhere around Marsabit.

“The Boranas here have received us well and offered us comfort. I feel at home here. Maybe it is Gods will that all this should happen so that I could return and live among my own people.”

Manyattas are scattered between mud houses and a few permanent structures on the plains outside of Marsabit town. It is windy in the spacious camp where Gabbras from some 160 households have been living for just over two years.

Like the displaced Boranas on the other side of town they have to a large extend been living on relief food supplemented by a bit of money earned by the men doing casual labor in town.

The Gabbras used to be a sub tribe of the Boranas and the two groups have lived peacefully together for centuries. This was also the case on a nearby mountain where the Gabbras of the camp used to cultivate their shambas.

But after the Turbi massacre in 2005 the atmosphere changed in the area. Animosity towards the Gabbras grew among their Borana neighbors. Suddenly tensions tightened to a point where revenging Boranas torched Gabbra houses, and they had to take refuge.

Their shambas were left behind, but they managed to bring some goats and heads of cattle which are now grazing on the plains outside the camp.  

Four wazee (elders); Dadach Mamo, Denge Duko, Elema Aballo and Diba Guyo, welcome the visiting delegation and do not take notice of a Borana lady who has escorted the visitors from town. They know her as a town dweller and hence do not see her as a culprit. Most of the clashes that have hampered the district have take place between pastoralists in the rural areas.

In the town center the atmosphere between the two communities is not too hostile. When people from the camp go to town they do greet Boranas whom they know from before the conflict started, yet only as a polite gesture and not with their hear, the wazee explain.  

Their relationship with Boranas from rural communities who have looted them is otherwise tense.

“We refuse to interact with them in any way,” the wazee explain in Gabbra through the translator.”

The suffering of Boranas groups due to the clashes is not a concern for the four wazee although they are aware that conflicts create victims on both sides.

“We don’t know about internally displaces Boranas. But we agree that there may be victims among them too.”

The six, who compose the council of elders of the camp state that they have no idea of why their Borana neighbors suddenly assaulted them. Asked if they think the aggression is linked to what has happended to Boranas elsewhere in the region, they consent.

“Maybe the Boranas took retribution for other Boranas who have been victims of Gabra aggressions. That may be so, but I don’t know about it,”  says Denge Duba.

Although they all four would desperately want to go back to their shambas, they have given up hope. As Diba Guyo puts it:

“We don’t dare to go back and live together with the Boranas. The best we can hope for is that we can one day be allowed to go back and till our land. But we will have to come back here everyday to live and stay here.”

28. november 2007