Kenya Rivals Reach Peace Agreement
By JEFFREY GETTLEMAN The New York Times February 29, 2008
NAIROBI, Kenya Kenyas rival leaders broke their tense standoff on Thursday, agreeing to share power in a deal that may end the violence that has engulfed this nation but could be the beginning of a long and difficult political relationship. The country seemed to let out a collective cheer as Mwai Kibaki, the president, and Raila Odinga, the top opposition leader, sat down at a desk in front of the presidents office, with a bank of television cameras rolling, and signed an agreement that creates a powerful prime minister position for Mr. Odinga and splits cabinet posts between the government and the opposition. The two sides, which have been bitterly at odds for the past two months, will now be fused together in a government of national unity. But there are still many thorny issues to resolve, starting with how the new government will function with essentially two bosses who have tried unsuccessfully to work together before. The government must also deal with the delicate business of reassigning the choice positions already given to Mr. Kibakis allies. There is also a deeply divided country to heal. More than 1,000 Kenyans have been killed and hundreds of thousands driven from their homes in an uncharacteristic burst of violence set off by a deeply flawed election in December. Much of the fighting, like the voting, has been along ethnic lines. The two-page power-sharing agreement, which came after intense international pressure and mediation by Kofi Annan, the former United Nations secretary general, seemed to serve as a contract to pull Kenya back from the brink. Both leaders urged their supporters, who have battled viciously across the country in recent weeks, to respect it. (Read full article.)
|
Genocide Watch: Kenya
1 January 2008
Genocide Watch has called a Genocide Alert because of genocidal massacres that are increasing daily in Kenya in the wake of a disputed election between President Mwai Kibaki, who is a member of the Kikuyu ethnic group, and Mr. Raila Odinga, who is ethnically a Luo.
Ethnic riots have broken out in Nairobi, Kisumu, Eldoret, and numerous other places in Kenya. People have been pulled from their cars and their identification cards checked for their names, which symbolize their ethnic identity, and then killed if they belong to groups being targeted. Hundreds of people have already been murdered. Today a church in Eldoret was locked and the people inside were burned to death by a mob.
Ethnic massacres are an indicator that the risk of genocide in Kenya has risen to Stage 6, the Preparation stage. Kenya has not yet descended into actual genocide. However, the next stage in the process is actual genocide, and Kenya is close to that stage. Genocide can be bilateral, with perpetrators from two (or more) groups killing members of other groups because of their ethnic identity. Burundi had such bilateral genocide from 1993 1995.
President Kabaki claimed victory and was sworn in for another term as President despite strong evidence of election fraud in Kikuyu districts, some of which reported more votes than the voters registered in the districts. The European Commission and African Union have called for independent inquiries into the vote counting process, which the Kenyan Election Commission said gave a narrow victory to Kibaki, despite his partys loss of many seats in Parliament.
Genocide Watch makes the following recommendations:
1. No country should recognize or congratulate President Kibaki for his re-election until the results are confirmed by independent election inquiries.
2. Mr. Odinga should publically denounce violence against Kikuyus, and President Kibaki should forbid violence against Luos and other ethnic groups.
3. President Kibaki and Mr. Odinga should declare their willingness to abide by the decision of an independent election inquiry commission whose members are named by both men, including trusted leaders from other African countries.
4. Both President Kibaki and Mr. Odinga should refrain from holding mass rallies, and should firmly forbid their supporters from joining criminal militias that are murdering and looting. Members of such militias should be arrested quickly and tried for their crimes.
5. Religious and civil society groups in Kenya should vigorously oppose the violence and protect people who are targeted because of their ethnic identity.
6. The African Union should begin immediate planning to send well equipped police forces to Kenya to quell the ethnic rioting there. The United Nations should condemn the violence and financially support African Union efforts to mediate the dispute and prevent further violence.
|
 |
| Kikuvus in Nakuru, Kenya, were part of a mass exodus trying to get to Kenya's central highlands (Christophe Calais for the New York Times). |
|
|
Signs in Kenya That Killings Were Planned
January 21, 2008
By JEFFREY GETTLEMAN
The New York Times
KERINGET, Kenya At first the violence seemed as spontaneous as it was shocking, with machete-wielding mobs hacking people to death and burning women and children alive in a country that was celebrated as one of Africas most stable.
But a closer look at what has unfolded in the past three weeks, since a deeply flawed election plunged Kenya into chaos, shows that some of the bloodletting that has left more than 650 people dead may have been premeditated and organized.
Leaflets calling for ethnic killings mysteriously appeared before the voting. Politicians with both the government and opposition parties gave speeches that stoked long-standing hatred among ethnic groups. And local tribal chiefs held meetings to plot attacks on rivals, according to some of them and their followers. (Read more.)
|
Updates
6 May 2008 Scarred by Strife After Election, Kenya Begins to Heal, by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times
19 April 2008 Annan: Kenya must prosecute militias for political violence, by The Associated Press
14 April 2008 Unity Cabinet Formed in Kenya, Ending Deadlock, by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times
14 April 2008 Kenyans killed in sect protests, by BBC News
13 April 2008 Deal Reported on Dividing Kenya Cabinet Posts, by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times
9 April 2008 Riots Erupt in Kenya as Peace Plan Falters, by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times
8 April 2008 Violence as Kenya Talks Suspended, by BBC News
5 April 2008 Naming of Kenyan Cabinet Delayed, by BBC News
2 April 2008 Accusations fly as Kenya political deadlock deepens, by C. Bryson Hull, The Washington Post
1 April 2008 Kenyan Police Tear Gas Protesters, by Malkhadir Muhumed, The Washington Post
30 March 2008 At Least 10 Killed as Somali Troops Shell a Market Used as an Insurgent Base, by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times
29 March 2008 Stalemate in Kenya Over Top Posts, by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times
25 March 2008 Kenyans satisfied with peace deal, by Alex Ndegwa, The Standard
25 March 2008 ODM case against State to continue, by Peter Astiaya, George Olwenya and Karanja Njoroge, The Standard
March 2008 Ballots to Bullets, by Human Rights Watch
10 March 2008 Tribalism Here, and There, by Roger Cohen, The New York Times
7 March 2008 Kenyan Parliament Opens on Theme of Unity as Rivals Sit Apart, by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times
3 March 2008 African Genocide Averted, by Roger Cohen, The New York Times
1 March 2008 In Kenya, U.S. Added Action to Talk of Democracy, by Helene Cooper, The New York Times
February 2008 Containing a Rebounding Crisis, by Gayle Smith, Enough
29 February 2008 Kenya Rivals Reach Peace Agreement, by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times
26 February 2008 Annan Has Sharp Words for Kenyans as Talks Stall, by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times
27 February 2008 Annan Tries to Spur Kenya Talks, by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times
22 February 2008 Deal to Share Power in Kenya Appears in Reach, by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times
21 February 2008 Machetes and Elections, by Nicholas D. Kristof, The New York Times
21 February 2008 Kenya in Crisis, by International Crisis Group
21 February 2008 Opposition in Kenya Threatens More Protests, by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times
19 February 2008 Rice, in Nairobi, Offers Incentives to End Violence, by Sheryl Gaystolberg and Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times
16 February 2008 Major Power-Sharing Issues Stymie Kenya Peace Talks, by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times
15 February 2008 Signs in Kenya of a Land Redrawn by Ethnicity, by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times
15 February 2008 As Kenyan Rivals Haggle, a Mother Mourns at 2 Graves, by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times |
|
12 February 2008 A Deal We Can Live With, by Maina Kiai and L. Muthoni Wanyeki, The New York Times
11 February 2008 Kenyas Middle Class Feeling Sting of Violence, by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times
9 February 2008 Annan Sees Small Gains in Peace Talks in Kenya, by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times
8 February 2008 U.S. Intensifies Efforts to End Deadly Conflict in Kenya, by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times
6 February 2008 The Kenyane Opposition Lodges a Complaint in the CPI, by Nouvel Obs
6 February 2008 Death Toll in Kenya Exceeds 1,000, but Talks Reach Crucial Phase, by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times
5 February 2008 South African Bows Out of Mediation, by AP, The New York Times
2 February 2008 Spreading Banditry Dilutes Benefits of a Plan for Ethnic Peace in Kenya, by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times
2 February 2008 A New Chapter in Ethnic Cleansing, by The New York Times
1 February 2008 Second Lawmaker Is Killed as Kenyas Riots Intensify, by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times
31 January 2008 Official Sees Kenyan Ethnic Cleansing, by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times
30 January 2008 Would-Be Peacemaker Killed in Kenya, by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times
29 January 2008 "Opposition Legislator Slain in Kenya, Sparking Clashes," by Stephanie McCrummen, The Washington Post
29 January 2008 Vengeance Reignites Kenyan City, by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times
29 January 2008 "Revenge Killings Stoke a Violent Cycle in Kenya," by Stephanie McCrummen, The Washington Post
28 January 2008 "Having Driven Out Business, Kenyan Town Faces Consequences," by Stephanie McCrummen, The Washington Post
28 January 2008 19 Burned to Death in Violence in Kenya, by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times
27 January 2008 Ethnic Violence in Rift Valley Is Tearing Kenya Apart, by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times
26 January 2008 Violence Continues in Kenya a Day After Talks, by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times
25 January 2008 "Rivals in Kenya Meet, But Recriminations Follow," by Stephanie McCrummen, The Washington Post
25 January 2008 Kenyas Political Rivals Meet, by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times
24 January 2008 U.S. Envoy Wants Political Pact in Kenya, by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times
24 January 2008 Kenyan Rivals Meet but Accuse Each Other of Sabotage, by Nick Tattersall and Daniel Wallis, The Washington Post
23 January 2008 Kenya Protesters Set Fire to Building, by Katy Pownall, The Washington Post
23 January 2008 Kenyan Rivals Unyielding Amid Bloodshed, by Michelle Faul, The Washington Post
22 January 2008 Annan Arrives in Kenya, Urges Rivals to Talk, by Reuters
22 January 2008 Kenya Police Teargas Kibaki Supporters In Nairobi, by Reuters
22 January 2008 "Kenya Violence Augurs Ethnic Split," by Elizabeth A. Kennedy, The AP
21 January 2008 Signs in Kenya That Killings Were Planned, by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times
19 January 2008 Kenyas Opposition Switches Its Tactics From Street Protests to Business Boycotts, by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times
18 January 2008 Protesters Clash With Police in Kenya and Loot Train, by Jeffrey Gettleman and Kennedy Abwao, The New York Times
17 January 2008 Protests Bring New Violence in Kenya, by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times
16 January 2008 Kenyan Opposition Wins a Skirmish, by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times
15 January 2008 Oppositions should continue to use the rule of law in their struggles, by David Coltart, The Age
13 January 2008 U.S. Presses Kenyan President and Opposition Leaders to Meet, by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times
12 January 2008 Kenyan Opposition Calls for New Rallies and Sanctions, by Jeffrey Gettleman and Kennedy Abwao, The New York Times
11 January 2008 Annan to Help in Kenya, Group Says, by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times
9 January 2008 Kenya Crisis Worsens as Opposition Cools to Talks, by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times
8 January 2008 Kenyan Leader and Opponent to Meet, by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times
7 January 2008 "Kenya Kikuyus, Long Dominant, Now Routed," by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times
6 January 2008 Seeds of Genocide Were Sown a Decade Ago by Moi, by Sam Kiley, The Guardian
6 January 2008 "No Country for Old Hatreds," Op-Ed by Binyavanga Wainana, The New York Times
6 January 2008 "Kenyan City Is Gripped By Violence," by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times
4 January 2008 "Kenyan Riot Police Turn Back Rallying Protesters," by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times
3 January 2008 "Kenyan Official Calls for Vote Probe," by Stephanie McCrummen and Howard Schneider, The Washington Post
3 January 2008 "Ambition and Horror in Kenya," Editorial, The New York Times
3 January 2008 "Tribal Rage Tears at Diverse Kenyan City," by Stephanie McCrummen, The Washington Post
3 January 2008 "Kenya, Known for Its Stability, Topples Into Post Election Chaos," by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times
2 January 2008 "Mob Burns Church in Kenya," by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times
1 January 2008 Genocide Watch: Kenya, by Dr. Gregory Stanton, President, Genocide Watch
1 January 2008 Fighting Intensifies After Election in Kenya, by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times
1 January 2008 "Ethnic Fault Lines Emerge in Kenya's Post-Election Turmoil," by Stephanie McCrummen, The Washington Post
30 December 2007 Tribal Rivalry Boils Over After Kenyan Election, by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times
30 December 2007 Riots Batter Kenya as Rivals Declare Victory, by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times
29 December 2007 Kenya Erupts in Violence as Rivals Declare Victory, by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times
31 December 2007 "Turmoil Grows in Kenya," by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times
31 December 2007 "Disputed Election Plunges Kenya into Bloodshed," by Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times
6 November 2007 "Kenya Accused of Mass Killings," Kenya Africa Mungiki.
31 July 2003 11 Nations Join U.S.-Backed Force, The Associated Press.
27 June 2003 Bush Calls for Changes in Africa to End Wars and Promote Trade, by Richard W. Stevenson, The New York Times.
|
|
|