Operation Linda Nchi

Since the mid-1990s, a number of loosely affiliated extremist groups operating from Somalia have carried out or facilitated terrorist attacks in the countries other than Somalia. Kenya has been one of such victims. The Operation Linda Nchi, which means "Protect the country" in Swahili was the code name of a military operation of Kenya into the territory of Somalia, that began in October 2011. The militaries of kenya, Ethiopia, France and also allegdely US cross the Somalian border and pursuied the Al-Shabaab militants.

Background:

Al Shadaab has been continuusly attacking the territores inside Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia etc. The 11 July 2010 bombings in Kampala (Uganda) that killed 85 civilians and injured dozens more – was attributed to Al-Shabaab. Over the period of time, Al-Shabaab has been sending ripples of fears of becoming a regional threat. It has frequently given warnings that it will bring war to Uganda and Burundi in revenge for their troop contributions to AMISOM (African Union Mission to Somalia) in support of Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and for civilian casualties caused by AMISOM shelling.

Apart from that, Kenya has been suffering from the Somalian refugee problem. It has been reported that Kenya is now officially home to almost 500,000 refugees from Somalia. This refugee problem has caused an enormous toll on locals and the government. Nairobi is deeply alarmed at the fast-growing refugee population. The Dadaab refugee camps are the third largest settlement in Kenya. But the problem is not simply the crisis in the camps. The government is uneasy about the growth of the native ethnic Somali population (nearly 2.4 million according to the 2009 census) and the increasing economic clout of Somalis. It is also aware of growing anti Somali sentiments in the major urban centres.

It has been alleged that a large number of these refugees have obtained Kenyan documents illegally, largely due to corruption, but also because it is often difficult to distinguish between Kenyan and other Somalis. Another concern is the movement of Somali refugees into Nairobi and Mombasa. Since the demographic changes have direct political implications, it has been a concern for Kenya.

Immediate Causes:

The immediate reason of the conflict was that Al-Shabaab militia was alleged to have kidnapped several foreign tourists and aid workers inside Kenya. Two Spanish Women who were working in Dadaab Refugee camp in Kenya were kidnapped and carried away by the Al Shabaab militants. The decision to encroach the Somilan territory was taken by Kenya on 16 October 2011. A Kenyan battalion, with air and armored vehicle support, crossed the Somali border from Liboi, entering the town of Dhobley in Lower Jubba region. The Kenyan government claimed its troop deployment had received approval from the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia (TFG). Even the Government of Kenya said that Kenyan troops were deployed on the request of TFG. The Al-Shabaab Islamist group was the main target of the operation, though Al-Shabaab officially denied involvement in any of the kidnappings.

Support to Kenya

Operation Linda Nchi had received national support as Kenyans were fed up by what they see as perceptions from the Al-shabaab of Kenya’s military incapacity to respond even to direct attacks in its hinterland. The international community also gave a covert nod to Kenya’s efforts-the communique issued and adopted by the IGAD Council of Ministers on 21 October and many of Kenya’s partners have expressed their support in different ways including through technical support. Kenya has been one of the strongest supporters of President Ahmed. However, the operation got elongated unexpectedly and then voices against the operation started coming up.

Consequences:

On April 16, 2012, Operation Linda Nchi entered its sixth month. The operation was not concluded and it was suspected that Operation Linda Nchi could easily be Kenya’s Vietnam. It was later reported that Kenyan army’s mission to dislodge the Al-Shabaab militia group from Somalia comes to an end soon. It was reported that the Kenya Defence Forces was preparing to hand over the responsibility to African Union Mission on Somalia (AMISOM). The mission endeed as the Kenyan soldiers had driven away Al-Shabaab fighters from 20 towns and pacified the liberated areas from the Al Qaeda-linked militia group. Government of Kenya said that it was a successful operation.

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