Pictures of the Year: A Picture and its Story
A Turkana tribeswoman reacts after an accidental fire of a shelter in Turkana settlement in Ilemi Triangle, Kenya, July 15, 2019. Reuters Photographer Goran Tomasevic: "First, the lookouts saw a footprint, then a suspected spy from a rival ethnic group, scuttling off into the bush. Expecting an attack, young men grabbed their guns and mothers grabbed their children - there are few state security forces in this remote area of northern Kenya. The Ilemi Triangle, a disputed sliver of land along the border with Ethiopia and South Sudan, is the northernmost tip of Turkana, Kenya's poorest county. A series of deadly clashes between the community and other ethnic groups that they said had crossed from South Sudan have put people on edge. Farmers and nomads frequently clash over limited resources. Livestock is the most important currency here. The danger is real. I saw several places scattered with skulls or bones with shredded clothing. Families drink from the same muddy pools as their livestock. There are few schools Ð children instead help herd cows to nearby watering holes. Chief Eipa Choro said the community felt abandoned by the government; clean water from an aid group's borehole was two hours' drive away. The nearest police station several hours away. We weren't attacked during the time I spent with them, but each time we moved, the community sent out scouts to secure the way and try to spot potential ambushes from cattle raiders. Raids can be a disaster for a community." REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic/File Photo SEARCH "POY STORIES 2019" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY