Rhamo, Central Gharri Region El Wak District: Skirmishes erupted on Sunday and continued through Monday July 23, 2007. By Gur Gharri and Garyaqan GSG News Contributor

After two days of marathon melees, over 70 people have been injured. Also, dozens of shops and several hundred heads of cattle have been looted by the Degody Thugs from Odo.

According to reports received from Rhamo, the Gharri people were attacked by a pack of roving degodia militia, who crossed from Odo village in Liibaan province, in Ethiopia. These reckless groups of thugs are roaming around town freely inside and outside hunting down any moving Gharri target. So far they have tortured over 70 to 100 innocent children, women and the elderly. It is said that they have used the weapons of their choice stones, machetes, and any objects that they can put their hands on and in some cases they shot several people.

Many businesses have been looted and houses burnt to the ground.  People are being displaced as we speak; cross-border raids of armed Degodia thugs caused the displacement of many innocent people. 

Trouble started when the Degody mobs headed by their area chiefs and councilors marched to the airfield without notice and began throwing stones and tires and other large tree branches on to the air port runway in order to prevent an aircraft that carries some Gharri leaders, news crews and ECK members from landing.

 The Gharri people were taken by surprise when the Degody mobs confronted them with stone throwing and shooting live bullets to stop the Gharri people from receiving their leaders and guests.

 Even though the police force was deployed from El Wak and Mandera Districts to bolster security, but they were overrun by well armed Degody mobs and thugs who have been assisted by Degodia settlers in the area. Now, the situation appears to be under control, and the religious leaders and other community elders from both sides are trying to restore peace in the area.

 The government knew about these groups, which carried out well thought out operations in the town of Rhamo and the surrounding areas., Harassing, blazing schools, destroyed and looted many business, stores, and government buildings.  Their violent acts cost the town millions of shillings, and damaging the relations ship between Degodia settlers and the Gharri natives.

These methods of Degodia war against Gharri had a dual purpose of creating terror among the Gharri families, and to stop the growing support of the current Members of the parliament from the area in enjoying the area.

The broker of death behind the Degodia’s war against the Gharri is none other than the horrible shegaats such as ADEN MOHAMED NURA AND HIS HENCHMEN SUCH AS DIDO AND COMPANY. Banditry has become one of their main instruments of subversion to gain political victory that they were unable to gain through normal Democratic practices.

Adan Mohamed Nur is using terrorism incursion in terrorizing Gharri people for his own selfish agenda.  It is time that Gharris remember that supporting Adan Mohamed nura is supporting death and destruction of Gharri lives.  You all should remember the Boru Ache massacre, you should all remembers the Elgolicha butchery.  This is the footwork of Adan Mohamed nura.

Gharri gained two more districts recently, and since the creation of these districts ( El wak and Takaba). We have seen the drastic rise in banditry by the dissatisfied minority Degodia settlers who are here at the generosity of Gharri people. 

The Degodia and the Sheegaats have desperately tried to block the creation and the institution of new districts. They have tried to block in court unsuccessfully, the bribed Kenya Electoral commission and that failed too.  They also tried phony negotiation tactics and that was clearly understood by the Gharri side.

Today, outsiders want to occupy the Gharri town by force but the Gharri people have resisted, and denied them using every means possible. 

 Degodia and the Sheegaats are using a volatile mix of tactics to deny Gharri rights.  Today, they have began engaging in political maneuverings, banditry, and militia operations are and spreaded terror in Rhamo divisions. 

The conflict in Gharri land begs for a solution, but as in all difficult situations, a proper understanding of the conflict, rather than a purposeful and misleading utterance and interpretation.  We do require to prepare our people for a meaningful and lasting solution and that is Gharri land is for Gharri and no political treachery to enrich our butchers to enjoy leading to the path of death.

There is no doubt that the brave people of Rhamo will come out victorious.

Gharri must stand fast and deny Adan Mohamed Nura and his hoodlums their ultimate goal to displace the Gharri and to defeat our great and valuable leader Honorable Billow kerrow

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