NewSecurityBeat

Kenyan Army Cracks Down on Mount Elgon Militia

March 11, 2008 By Rachel Weisshaar

The Kenyan army launched a major assault on the Sabaot Land Defence Force (SLDF) yesterday, said officials. More than 500 people have been killed in land clashes involving the SLDF over the past year and a half, including 13 last week.

According to the International Crisis Group, the SLDF, which is based in the Mount Elgon region of western Kenya, is one of the strongest and best-armed non-state groups in Kenya. It comprises members of a Kalenjin sub-clan who believe the government’s Chebyuk Settlement Scheme, which redistributed land in the area, was unjust and should be nullified.

The crackdown—involving hundreds of soldiers and five helicopters—is unusual because Kenyan governments have largely avoided addressing the incendiary issue of land reform.

Topics: Africa, conflict, military, natural resources, security