2 killed in arrest of Kenya separatist leader

Two people were killed Monday as police arrested the leader of the separatist Mombasa Republican Council, a group seeking to split the popular tourist coast from the rest of Kenya, police said. "Two people whom we suspect are MRC members were killed during the raid and 12 others arrested," regional police chief Aggrey Adoli said, adding that the group's leader Omar Mwamnuadzi was in custody. "They will be charged in court as soon as possible," he added, noting that an AK-47 assault rifle was seized during the raid, in which four police officers were seriously wounded. The raid took place at Mwamnuadzi's home at Kombani, some 40 kilometres (25 miles) south of the port city Mombasa. The MRC claims that the predominantly Muslim coastal region is not part of Kenya, while arguing that it has been neglected by the central government. In July, the High Court in Mombasa revoked a 2010 decision to outlaw the group. The government has said it opposes that decision. Police have blamed several violent acts on the group, including a recent disruption of training by the election commission ahead of national elections next year.