The fight against swarms of desert locusts invading Eastern and North Eastern Kenya has received a major boost after Al Shabaab decided to join the fight against the marauding insects.
In a press conference, the Cabinet Secretary in charge of Agriculture noted that the militant group would work alongside the Kenya Police who are already firing in the air and using tear gas to chase away the locusts. Al Shabaab would be expected to start the fight from the Somali side, provided that the two groups do not meet.
On their part, Al Shabaab said that they were glad to use their superior guerilla tactics to launch surprise attacks on the locusts, a strategy they have often employed in Kenya. They said that if the situation got out of hand, they were willing to send even suicide bombers to neutralize as many locusts as possible.
Asked why they were helping Kenyans in this fight, Al Shabaab spokesperson said that not every enemy of your enemy is your friend, as the US has demonstrated in the Middle East. He added that if locust invasion leads to famine and starvation of Kenyans, they will have no enemy to fight. Keeping Kenyans alive for further attacks is top of their priorities.
By the time of going to the press, there was no report from either the government or Al Shabaab on the advancement of both the locusts or the troops fighting the locusts.
