Islamist rebels in Somalia have accused Kenya of recruiting ethnic Somalis who live in Kenya to fight against them.

An official with the militant al-Shabab group warned that his organisation would do all it could to stop Kenya.

The mayor of the Kenyan town of Garissa says 200 young men have been taken from their homes, though Nairobi denies taking part in any such activities.

Kenya supports Somalia’s weak UN-backed government, which is battling al-Shabab and other Islamist groups.

‘No complaints’

Sheik Da’ud Mohamed Garane, appointed as governor of Somalia’s Gedo region by al-Shabab, told a crowd of about 200 people that Kenya was “giving training and military equipment to Somali men in three different areas along its border with Somalia”.

“These men are being prepared to attack the peaceful positions we control. But let me tell Kenya that we will do all we can to prevent that to happen,” he said.

They are apparently told that they are being recruited into the police force and will be paid $600 (£380) a month.

The BBC’s Bashkas Jugsodaay in the north-eastern town of Garissa says reports of Kenyans being recruited have been circulating for several days.

Garissa Mayor Mohamed Gabow told our reporter that people had been moving around town during the night, recruiting young boys.

“We thought if you are giving our youth jobs then they better be jobs that don’t endanger their lives,” he said.

“But giving them guns and involving them in fighting in other countries is not fair.”

Several parents in Garissa expressed concern for their children, saying they had been told they were going to the Kenyan port of Mombasa for training, but had not been heard from since.

One woman said her son had been recruited to join Amisom, the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia.

But Kenya’s defence ministry and the local police have denied the reports.

A Kenyan police official told Reuters news agency that no official complaint had been lodged over the reports.

“No local leader or any parent has come forward to inform us about any such reports,” Paul Mukoma said late last week.

Dahir Mohamud Gelle, information minister with Somalia’s government, has also denied using soldiers from Kenya.

North-eastern Kenya is largely inhabited by ethnic Somalis.

Somalia last had a functioning central government in 1991.

Since then numerous armed groups have been fighting for control.

Islamist rebels who are accused of having links to al-Qaeda dominate much of southern and central Somalia, while the government runs only parts of the capital, Mogadishu.

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Source: BBC

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