More Insecurity in Kenya
Clashes at the coast province last week left 48 villagers dead. 31 women, 11 children and 6 men. 60 cattle were also slaughtered in the attacks. This recent spate of attacks between the Orma and Pokomo communities had been triggered by a need for revenge and retaliation, the subject of conflict being pasture and water. This conflict had been brewing over some time so it's fair to say that the calamity could have been avoided. The question that now lingers is 'why were the authorities reluctant to forestall an attack of this kind, last witnessed in the 2007-2008 Post - election violence?' Inter-clan clashes are not an unusual occurrence in the country with Tana, Mandera and wajir having already been haunted by such. The acting Internal Security Minister, Yusuf Haji was keen to point out that all provincial administration officials in those areas would henceforth be held accountable if more attacks were to happen. Some allegations indicate that these attacks were politically instigated and so investigations are underway. The Internal Security Minister has called for an immediate disarmament of civilians.
Meanwhile, Kenya has been threatened with sanctions if nothing is done to implement proper counterterrorism measures to deal with the on-going terror related activities. The government has been accused of being reluctant to effect the adoption of a legal regime that will serve the purpose of tracking drug traffickers, money launderers and terrorist financing. Kenya has suffered a series of terrorist attacks and the urgency of such a law cannot be ignored. Drugs, money laundering as well as terrorism are said to be interconnected. Kenya is in danger of being blacklisted by an international coalition fighting terrorism, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). The FATF are the global standard setting body for anti-money laundering and for combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT). The FATF warned in a report published in June this year that if Kenya does not take measures by October 2012, its members shall apply countermeasures that are "proportionate to the risks associated with Kenya".
The assassination of Sheikh Aboud Rogo on Monday, 24th by unknown assailants who had been trailing him has sparked animosity and furious attacks which have targeted the police and churches in Mombasa. Both Kenyan and US authorities had linked Sheikh Aboud Rogo to the Al-Shabaab and Al-Qaeda groups. He had been accused of funding the terrorist groups by the earlier released UN and US reports. The killing has been strongly condemned by both the Christian and Muslim societies and the Prime Minister has called for calm and restraint as he affirmed the government's commitment to bring the culprits to book. We hope that justice will be upheld and that the rule of law will prevail to ensure that the persons behind this answer for the unwarranted act. Together with this, those behind the burning of churches in Mombasa ought to be apprehended and dealt with in accordance to the law as this is not about inter-religious combats.
