Kenya to reopen border with Somalia in April after 15-year closure

​​​​​​​By Andrew Wasike

NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) - Kenya will reopen the Mandera border post with Somalia in April, ending a 15-year closure that severed movement and trade between communities along the northeastern frontier, President William Ruto announced Thursday.

Mandera lies 1,050 kilometers (652 miles) northeast of the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, near the tri-border area linking Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia.

The crossing, which has remained largely closed since 2011 due to insecurity linked to al-Shabaab terror group attacks, is expected to resume operations as part of renewed efforts to restore economic activity and reconnect families divided by the prolonged shutdown.

Ruto, who was in Mandera, said the closure had unfairly isolated residents of Mandera County from relatives and trading partners across the border.

“It is unacceptable that fellow Kenyans in Mandera remain cut off from their kin and neighbors in Somalia due to the prolonged closure of the Mandera Border Post,” he said. “Accordingly, we will reopen the border post in April, restoring connectivity and revitalizing cross-border trade for the mutual prosperity of our people.”

Kenya closed several border crossings with Somalia in October 2011 following a wave of cross-border attacks, before deploying troops into Somalia under Operation Linda Nchi.

Over the years, security concerns, including roadside bombings and ambushes targeting security forces and civilians in Mandera, Wajir and Garissa counties, have delayed attempts to fully restore cross-border movement.

The porous Kenya-Somalia border stretches 680 kilometers and has historically supported informal and formal trade, livestock movement and family ties across communities that share cultural and clan links.