WT Media and BBC Expose "Stoning" Threats in Mandera, Kenya; WPLM Issues Formal Complaint to Protect Wolaita Ethiopians Before February Deadline
WPLM Demands Global Action for Wolaita Ethiopians in Kenya Following WT Media Investigation and BBC Reports of Systematic Persecution
MANDERA, KENYA – The Wolaita Peoples’ Liberation Movement (WPLM) has officially escalated the Mandera crisis to the global stage, filing a formal international complaint against what it describes as an “imminent humanitarian catastrophe” and “ethnic persecution” targeting Wolaita and other Ethiopian nationals in northeastern Kenya.
In a comprehensive statement sent to WT Media, on January 24, 2026, the WPLM called for urgent intervention from the United Nations, the African Union, and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) to prevent potential mass violence before a looming February 5th deadline.
The WPLM’s complaint is built on a foundation of verified evidence, including investigative reporting by Wolaita Times (WT) Media, verification by BBC Amharic, and recorded admissions by local elders. The movement warns that the situation has reached a “state of high humanitarian and protection risk”.
Critical findings documented in the complaint include:
- Death Threats and Dehumanization: Public warnings have been issued that members of the Wolaita community will be “stoned to death” if they remain in Mandera beyond February 5, 2026.
- Organized Incitement: Vehicles equipped with loudspeakers are patrolling the streets, broadcasting orders for Wolaita Ethiopians to leave or face violent consequences.
- State Complicity Concerns: The WPLM highlights a “reasonable inference of negligence” due to the silence of the Mandera County Commissioner and local MCA, despite credible threats of mass violence.
- Security Force Abuse: The report documents arbitrary arrests of Ethiopians, who are reportedly released only after paying bribes reaching 20,000 Kenyan Shillings.
- Economic Exploitation: Local leaders are accused of using the expulsion to avoid paying months of unpaid wages owed to Wolaita laborers.
- Denial of Burial Rights: Following the killing of an Ethiopian national in the Burabur area, local actors reportedly prevented the body from being returned to Ethiopia for burial.
The WPLM statement corroborates WT Media’s exclusive interview with Sultan Yussuf, Chairman of the Mandera Somali Community Elders. While the Sultan justified the expulsion on “unconstitutional and discriminatory grounds,” the WPLM notes a critical internal fracture: the decision is not unanimous. Many Somali business owners actually support the Wolaita community but are being silenced by the “fear-driven” authority of the elders.
The WPLM asserts that these actions constitute grave violations of the Constitution of Kenya (2010) and the Kenya Refugee Act (2021), which guarantees protection against forced return. Internationally, the movement argues the threats qualify as incitement to potential crimes against humanity and violate the 1951 Refugee Convention and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
WPLM President WoldeMariam Lisanu has issued several urgent demands to the international community:
- Protective Intervention: Immediate deployment of neutral national or international protection mechanisms in Mandera.
- Suspension of All Expulsion Orders: Nullification of any non-judicial or extrajudicial decrees.
- Accountability: An independent investigation into the roles of community elders, security forces, and political officials in extortion and killings.
- Wage Protection: Guarantees that all owed wages are paid and Wolaita assets are protected.
The WPLM concluded with a stern warning to all concerned bodies: “Failure to act will not be viewed as neutrality, it will be recorded as silence in the face of ethnic persecution”.
This crisis escalated on January 19, 2026, when Kulan Post published a video featuring an official announcement from a coalition of local Somali elders, religious scholars, and representatives claiming the backing of both County and National government officials.
In the video, translated by WT Media, a spokesperson issues a chilling ultimatum: “It has been formally agreed that the people known as the Wolaita must leave. By February, 5/2026, they must be out from among us. If they are seen after that date, action will be taken.”
The decree explicitly warns local residents against hosting the community, labeling the Wolayta a “threat” to local Islamic religion, culture, and the economy. The speaker describes the move as a “final warning” to clear the town of the community’s presence.
The situation in Mandera is no longer just a local dispute; it is a test of Kenya’s commitment to international human rights and the rule of law.
While the Wolaita community continues to contribute to the region’s economy through tireless labor and entrepreneurship, they are being met with state-sanctioned hostility and communal threats.
If the Kenyan government and international humanitarian agencies fail to intervene, the “final warning” issued in Mandera may soon transform into a humanitarian catastrophe that stains the region for years to come. The world is watching, and for the families hiding in the shadows of Mandera, time is running out.
WT Media will continue to monitor the response from the UNHCR, broadcast this story until the safety of the 10,000+ Ethiopians in Mandera is guaranteed by the National Government of Kenya and the Ethiopian Embassy in Nairobi as this international complaint develops.
Source – WT Media
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