Wagalla massacre

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The Wagalla massacre was a massacre of Somali Muslims by Kenyan security forces on February 10, 1984 in Wajir District, North Eastern Province, Kenya.

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[edit] The massacre

There exist numerous accounts of the massacre, which took place on February 10, 1984 at Wagalla Airstrip, approximately 15 km (10 mi) away from the district capital of Wajir.[1] Reports of the number of men from the minority[2] Degodia clan[3] detained by security forces and brought to the airstrip range from a low of 381[4] to upward of ten thousand.[5]

[edit] Death toll

The exact number of people killed in the massacre is unknown[6] and estimates range from 57 (the official government toll)[7] to more than five thousand.[8]

[edit] Aftermath

For years the Kenyan government denied that a massacre took place and insisted that "only 57 people were killed in a security operation to disarm the [area's] residents".[9] It was not until October 2000 that the government publicly acknowledged wrongdoing on the part of security forces.[7]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Leaders demand probe into 1994 killings in northeast", The People, 2002-06-16. 
  2. ^ "Narc's Flagbearer in North Eastern And Supkem Leader is Labour Minister", The Nation, 2003-01-04. 
  3. ^ Maliti, Tom. "Kenyans seek commission to discover truth of '84 mass killing", The Philadelphia Inquirer, 2003-09-14, p. A18. Retrieved on 2007-08-09. (alternate link)
  4. ^ Opondo, Owino. "Wagalla issue causes uproar in the House", The Nation, 2000-10-19. 
  5. ^ "Two-Week Ultimatum to Land Grabbers", East African Standard, 2003-02-28. Retrieved on 2007-08-09. 
  6. ^ Odalo, Bob. "How Mulinge Saved Kenyatta From Coup", The Nation, 2000-03-26. 
  7. ^ a b "Kenya admits mistakes over 'massacre'", BBC, 2000-10-18. Retrieved on 2007-08-08. 
  8. ^ Ongeri, Boniface, and Victor Obure. "Fading images: How province is fighting one-eyed bandit’s legacy", The Standard, 2004-12-09. Retrieved on 2007-08-08. 
  9. ^ Ngunjiri, Philip. "Muslim leaders oppose plan to exhume bodies", Inter Press Service, 1998-11-04. Retrieved on 2007-08-08.