Kenya accused of blowing up the 12th Hormuud Telecom Tower Station

Hormuud Telecom, a leading telecommunications company in Somalia, has accused Kenya of repeatedly targeting its relay stations along or near the border between Somalia and Kenya.

In a press statement released by the company on Saturday, the aggrieved telecommunications company revealed that Kenyan troops rigged the 12th Hormuud Station with powerful explosives at around midnight on Thursday, 22 August, thereby completely destroying the station; tower, generators, BTS, building and all; in stark and blatant violation of international laws.

The statement noted that in one of the earlier raids carried out by Kenya forces, several lives were lost, including incalculable property.

‘These unlawful actions of the Kenyan troops and those leading their operational effort are now committing war crimes and will tarnish the efforts of the international community to stabilize Somalia,’ Hormuud stated in its press release.

The press release foregrounded the devastating effect which the destruction of the station left on dependents of the service.

‘The destruction has disrupted all Hormud Telecom services, disconnecting up to 4000 people from the rest of the country, and putting all economic activities on hold due to the damage caused to mobile communication and EVC Mobile Money, which is a crucial lifeline of the vulnerable Somali communities in the rural areas,’ the statement further mentioned.

The statement made an urgent appeal to the Federal Government of Somalia, the UN, the AU, human rights organizations, and other international partners to quickly and expediently look into the matter and take necessary measures to ‘prevent more of these attacks and hold the Kenyan government accountable for their barbaric attacks’.

Somalia condemns Kenya for attacking Hormuud

The Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications, and Technology of the Somalia Federal Government has strongly condemned the attack on Hormuud Telecommunication Company in Gedo region on 22, August 2019.

Minister Eng Abdi Anshur Hassan said the attack has seriously damaged the premises and the equipment of the Hormuud company headquarters in Dawn, thereby affecting businesses and lives of the Somali people in the Gedo region.

‘We urge AMISOM which the Kenya Defence Forces is also part of to engage with the Somali government in the investigation of these repeated attacks and believe it is important to take appropriate action against this adversary who targets our economy and business per international law,’ the Minister of Taxation said.

The Ministry of Posts has forwarded a comprehensive report on the loss of lives and property as a result of the attacks launched by Kenya troops on Somali telecommunications companies to AMISOM.

According to the statement by Hormuud Telecommunications, this would be the 12th time in less than two years that the Kenyan forces have destroyed Hormuud Telecom’s base in Caws-Qurun village in the Gedo region.