Kidnapping of South Korean Missionaries and Local Violence in Northern Kenya

Gunmen kidnapped two South Korean missionaries near the Kenya-Ethiopia border, amidst local violence where eight Kenyans were shot dead. Efforts are underway to locate them, but local authorities struggle due to frequent armed raids in the region. National and local officials are providing limited information.

Gunmen kidnapped two South Korean missionaries in northern Kenya near the Ethiopia border on Monday evening, while eight Kenyans were shot dead in a separate incident in the region, local officials confirmed.

The arid, weapon-ridden borderlands suffer frequent raids by armed groups. The government launched a security operation last year to disarm local bandits and restore order. Marsabit County Governor Mohamud Ali stated that the missionaries of Korean origin were abducted and remain incommunicado.

According to Marsabit County Commissioner James Kamau, the abductees, a South Korean man and his mother-in-law, were taken from their home in Odda village around 9 p.m. Their mobile phone signal was last traced to the Ethiopian border. Efforts to locate them have been unsuccessful as the phone is switched off.

(With inputs from agencies.)