Garissa leaders hold peace meeting in efforts to stop inter-clan clashes

Garissa leaders led by Ijara MP Abdi Ali met on Monday in sustained efforts to quell clan clashes.

The leaders who were joined by among others community members, Sama Geet representatives and religious leaders met in Hulugho for the peace meeting.

According to MP Abdi Ali, the leaders reiterated the importance of peace and tolerance to their people and urged them to coexist as one people.

The leaders also insisted on the downside of violence and what it turns communities into.

"We talked to our people on the importance of peaceful coexistence with our brothers and neighbours, our historical relationship with them in terms of religion, culture, neighbourhood and inter-marriage, needs for restrain and tolerance, and horrors of war.

"Glad that our people heeded the call for peace, agreed to bury the hatchet and accepted to continue their businesses as usual," the Ijara MP said.

The leaders who included Garissa Senator Abdul Haji, and nominated MP Umulkher Harun also visited the homes of the bereaved families.

The leaders called on security officials to fasten the process of bringing the perpetrators to book and serving justice to the families of the victims.

"Our mandate as leaders is to continuously preach peace even as we engage the security to bring the culprits and perpetrators to book. I thank the leaders and the community for accepting the message of peace," MP Harun said.

The area has for the past few months witnessed gruesome killings as a result of inter-clan clashes.

The retaliatory attacks that have been going on for the last month have so far claimed the lives of 13 people among them six students who were shot dead aboard a Probox at Kunaso area on their way to the border town of Hulugho.