The Kenyan government says it would postpone the reopening of its border with Somalia following attacks on its territory blamed on the Islamist militant organisation al-Shabab.
Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki said the planned staggered reopening of border stations along the long border will not take place as planned.
He stated that the decision was influenced by “recent incidents of threats and cases of insecurity in the border counties.”
It comes as five civilians and eight police officers were killed in separate incidents near the border last month.
The border was initially closed in 2011, because of attacks by al-Shabab, which has been waging an insurgency against the central government in Mogadishu.
The minister also announced Kenya would in a few weeks begin integrating refugees who have been staying in camps, as part of a new way of managing them.
He said the new system would allow authorities to weed out agents of terror and criminals who are exploiting the available refugee spaces to hurt host communities.
