A deal's been reached at talks between Kenya's government and opposition. Former UN chief Kofi Annan's been leading negotiations to end the violence that has followed the recent disputed elections. Although we haven't got the details yet, the sides have agreed to some kind of interim joint government.
In the short-term, this is good news for the Kenyan people. Anything that stops the kind of tribal fighting we've seen over the last few weeks is a good thing. Any fears Kenya could go the same way as Rwanda 14 years ago have surely now gone.
But this deal may end up being something we all regret. What's basically happened is that the Kibaki regime lost the election, changed the result, and has now got away with it. It sets a dangerous precedent, when an unpopular government is allowed by the rest of the world to simply ignore the will of the majority of its people as expressed at the ballot box. The violence may now end, but peace will come at a high price, and not just in terms of the lives that have already been lost.
Showing posts with label Kenya. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kenya. Show all posts
Friday, February 08, 2008
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Annan Tries To Make Amends
Former UN secretary general Kofi Annan is in Kenya, leading efforts to find a peaceful solution to the political crisis that's led to tribal violence in the country. He's stepped in to begin mediation between President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga, following the disputed results of last month's election. As well he might.
Mr Annan - the first African to lead the UN - has quite a debt to work off in this area. Many commentators in recent weeks have talked darkly about how the Kenya situation could turn into something similar to the crisis that ended in bloody genocide and the deaths of almost a million people in Rwanda 14 years ago. Back then, the head of UN peacekeeping in New York ignored repeated warnings from the Canadian general on the ground about how bad the situation was getting. The UN and the world then looked on aghast as the slaughter began. That senior UN official was none other than Kofi Annan, and rather than being punished for his gross negligence, he ended up getting the top job in the organisation. We all need him to do a better job this time.
Mr Annan - the first African to lead the UN - has quite a debt to work off in this area. Many commentators in recent weeks have talked darkly about how the Kenya situation could turn into something similar to the crisis that ended in bloody genocide and the deaths of almost a million people in Rwanda 14 years ago. Back then, the head of UN peacekeeping in New York ignored repeated warnings from the Canadian general on the ground about how bad the situation was getting. The UN and the world then looked on aghast as the slaughter began. That senior UN official was none other than Kofi Annan, and rather than being punished for his gross negligence, he ended up getting the top job in the organisation. We all need him to do a better job this time.
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Un Ugly Compromise Ahead
Kenya's President Kibaki has invited opposition leader Odinga for talks following the recent election results which, to put it mildly, are disputed.
Mr Odinga has called off rallies in his favour, which is probably a good thing, because it makes it less likely we'll see more violence over the next few days. But he says it's because he's putting his faith in international mediation, which is about as likely to produce a satisfactory resolution as the tribunal that's decided Harbhajan Singh definitely called Andrew Symonds a monkey.
It's clear that Mr Odinga was, as he maintains, cheated out of election triumph by Mr Kibaki. Sadly enough, there seems little hope he'll actually be given that victory. With the world watching on, and tribal violence eerily reminiscent (albeit on a far smaller scale) of Rwanda 14 years ago taking place, some kind of compromise appears more likely by the day. It's an ugly way out, but at least it may save many hundreds of lives, a factor which leaves Mr Odinga little choice.
Mr Odinga has called off rallies in his favour, which is probably a good thing, because it makes it less likely we'll see more violence over the next few days. But he says it's because he's putting his faith in international mediation, which is about as likely to produce a satisfactory resolution as the tribunal that's decided Harbhajan Singh definitely called Andrew Symonds a monkey.
It's clear that Mr Odinga was, as he maintains, cheated out of election triumph by Mr Kibaki. Sadly enough, there seems little hope he'll actually be given that victory. With the world watching on, and tribal violence eerily reminiscent (albeit on a far smaller scale) of Rwanda 14 years ago taking place, some kind of compromise appears more likely by the day. It's an ugly way out, but at least it may save many hundreds of lives, a factor which leaves Mr Odinga little choice.
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