Two Kenyan civilians were abducted and two firearms stolen from police reservists by Ethiopian security personnel in Bori Village in Moyale on Saturday morning.Speaking to the Nation by phone, Marsabit County Commissioner Moffat Kangi said an unknown number of Ethiopian police reservists struck Bori near the Kenya-Ethiopia border at around 8am.

“We are yet to establish the motive of the attackers. They are part of Ethiopian security agencies who manage all grassroots security issues. They stole two firearms and abducted two civilians. We are following up the matter through diplomatic channels,” Mr Kangi said.

He said additional security officers had been deployed along the border.“We are strengthening our border security as we wait for an explanation from the Ethiopian government,” he added.

In November, Kenya was forced to deploy KDF soldiers and police officers along the border in Sololo, Marsabit County, following the killing of three police officers by Ethiopian soldiers.Ethiopian forces were said to be in pursuit of members of the Oromo Liberation Front, an outlawed group in that country.

Last month, Kenya and Ethiopia signed a Sh20 billion historic five-year deal to end conflict along the border and spur development.President Uhuru Kenyatta and Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn witnessed the signing of a deal called “Marsabit County/Kenya-Borana Zone/Ethiopia Integrated Cross-border and Area-based Programme”, sponsored by UN agencies.

The project is expected to help communities living along the border to improve their economy through trade.