Kenya attack

The Kenya Defense Force and the US military are working together to defeat terrorist attacks, like the one reported in yesterday's post when one soldier and two civilians were killed at the camp in Kenya last Sunday.

 "US Africa Command -- which is responsible for military relations with nations on the continent -- said Africa Command and Kenya Defense forces repelled the attack."

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Al-Qaeda affiliate al-Shabaab claimed to be responsible for Sunday's attack, but they more commonly target civilian Christians.

Nine Christians traveling by bus in December were ordered to recite the Islamic creed. When they didn't do it, they were "paraded out of the bus and shot dead at close range by those believed to be Al-Shabaab militants."

"In 2018, Fredrick Ngui Ngonde and Joshua Ooko Obila were killed in a similar manner for declining to recite the Islamic creed along the Garissa Masalani road."

"In 2015, 148 students at Garissa University were killed by gunmen while the Muslim students were freed."

There are incidents where non-extremist Muslims have tried to defend Christians. In at least one case, that individual suffered the same punishment.

Gone in 2020

Another U.S. Army soldier died last Sunday. His mother has requested prayer for their family.

"The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Octave Shield. Spc. Henry J. Mayfield Jr., 23, from Evergreen Park, Illinois, was killed Jan. 5, 2020, during an attack in Manda Bay, Kenya."

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The army installation at Manda Bay is there to support anti-terrorism efforts of our Eastern Africa partners. The Somali terrorist group al-Shabaab has taken responsibility for this attack which also killed two American civilian contractors.

She dug deep

Sarah (yesterday's post) went to Africa to bring prosperity, well-being, a better life. But she gained humility, and a respect for the dignity and creativity that native Africans already have.

Eva Muraya is a native African living in Kenya. When she lost her husband, she pulled on her own creativity to start a business. She managed to support her family and, in the process, to become a community leader.

Protection

If you didn't see the report of Muslims who banded together on a bus to protect Christians . . then you should hear about this.

In northeast Kenya, a commuter bus was attacked about six weeks ago. The Islamist gunman ordered Muslims to separate from Christians but they - amazingly - refused.

“We even gave some non-Muslims our religious attire to wear in the bus so that they would not be identified easily. We stuck together tightly,” Abdi said. “The militants threatened to shoot us, but we still refused and protected our brothers and sisters. Finally they gave up and left but warned that they would be back.”

They could have paid for this act of goodness with their lives.

Kenya attack

In a "brazen assault on civilians," the Somali terrorist group Al-Shabaab attacked Garissa University College in Nairobi, Kenya, at 5:30 a.m. yesterday.

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 "Then they proceeded to the hostels," [lecturer Joel] Ayora told CNN, referring to the university dorm, "shooting anybody they came across -- except their fellows, the Muslims."

"One student who escaped the attack, Collins Wetangula, told the Associated Press he locked himself and three roommates in their dormitory room, then heard the gunmen opening doors, asking if those inside were Muslims or Christians and shooting the Christians."