Gunmen from Turkana county of North West Kenya allegedly attacked and killed one person and looted more than 2,000 heads of cattle from neighbouring Dasenech district of the South Omo Zone in southern Ethiopia.
Residents of Herum locality in Dasenech district reported to the South Regional state of Ethiopia on Wednesday that “armed individuals from Turkana” raided their area, killing one person and looting more than 2,000 heads of cattle.
They said the raiders arrived in four groups and carried out the assault at midday and shot dead one person who was herding the cattle. Three cattle were also killed during the shootout.
The residents further said five armed “Turkana youth” returned for another raid on the following day but were forced to retreat after an exchange of fire.
Some of the residents said they have been left with no cattle at all after the raid and called on the regional government to help them regain their cattle and stop the recurring killings in the area.
In February 2025, at least 13 Ethiopian were killed and two others seriously injured in the Dasenech district in attacks carried out by militants from Kenya’s Turkana County,” according to residents and government sources.
Similarly, in March, four Ethiopian were killed and three others injured in another cross-border clash at Kukruk kebele. Reports at the time indicated that property was also looted, including six boats, 130 fishing nets, up to 500,000 dried fish, and other belongings.
A consultation forum aimed at sustainably resolving the recurring security challenges along the Ethiopia–Kenya border was held in Kakuma town, Turkana County, Kenya, in June 2025, bringing together officials from the government of Southern Ethiopia Regional State on the Ethiopian side, and from Turkana County at the county, zonal, and district levels on the Kenyan side.
According to information from Dasenech district, the discussion was intended to consolidate lasting peace in the border areas shared by the two countries, foster healthy cross-border relations among their citizens, and strengthen the social and economic benefits of peaceful coexistence.
The latest attack came after a symbolic gesture intended to ease recurring cross-border tensions between Ethiopia’s Dasenech and Kenya’s Turkana pastoralist communities that saw exchange of livestock seized during recent recurring clashes.
MG/as/APA