Kenyan President Fires Minister After Islamists Kill 36 Non-Muslims
Islamist extremists killed 36 non-Muslim quarry workers in northern Kenya early on Tuesday, prompting Kenya's president to announce a se...
http://www.africaeagle.com/2014/12/kenyan-president-fires-minister-after.html
Islamist extremists killed 36 non-Muslim quarry workers in northern Kenya early on Tuesday, prompting Kenya's president to announce a security shake-up, firing his interior minister and accepting the resignation of the national police chief.
President Uhuru Kenyatta named Joseph Nkaissery, an opposition politician and retired army general, as the new interior minister in charge of security. Police Chief David Kimaiyo resigned, citing personal reasons. Public pressure had been mounting for the two officials to be replaced following a string of extremist attacks.
The Tuesday killings happened at a quarry in Mandera County near the border with Somalia and the attackers escaped. They singled out the non-Muslims and killed them in an incident similar to an extremist attack on a bus 10 days ago. The slaughter was claimed by al-Shabaab, which has been fighting for years to establish hardline Islamist rule in Somalia.
At the quarry, a group of about 50 heavily armed men walked into the camp at 12.30am as the workers were sleeping and fired warning shots, said Peter Nderitu, a worker at the quarry. Mr Nderitu said that when he heard the shooting he ran and hid in a trench, from where he could hear his colleagues being asked to recite the Shahada, an Islamic creed declaring oneness with God. Then gunshots followed. He only rose from his hiding place two hours later when he was sure there was no more movement, he said, and discovered the bodies of his colleagues arranged in two rows, nearly all shot in the back of the head. The quarry camp is on the outskirts of Mandera town.
Sheikh Ali Mohamud Rage, an al-Shabaab spokesman, said the latest attack was a response to Kenya's troop presence in Somalia and alleged atrocities committed by the Kenyan army there. Al-Shabaab claimed an air strike killed innocent people and destroyed their property; the government said the air strike was in response to a November 22 al-Shabaab attack on bus passengers in Mandera County that left 28 people dead. In that attack, the non-Muslims were also separated from other passengers and shot dead.
About 100 non-Muslims last week sought refuge at the army base in Mandera demanding that the government evacuate them. Joseph Kinyua, Mr Kenyatta's chief of staff, attempted to persuade non-Muslims from leaving Mandera county, whose population is predominantly Kenyan Muslims of Somali origin. The governor, Ali Roba, survived an improvised explosive device attack on his vehicle on October 15.
The quarry attack came hours after a hotel in Wajir, also in northern Kenya, was hit by a grenade and gunfire, killing one person and wounding 13, police said.
Al-Shabaab has vowed to attack Kenya for sending its troops into Somalia to fight the rebels. The Kenyan military was deployed to Somalia in October 2011. Since then Kenya has experienced a series of attacks blamed on the militants.
“I have been saying for a long time that these terrorists want to create chaos in the country by creating divisions between Muslims and Christians,” said Billow Kerrow, a senator for Mandera county. He said al-Shabaab is also trying to fuel tribal animosity by choosing to attack other tribes and leaving out the Kenyan Somali community who are the majority in Mandera county.
“I am worried that this may get out of hand. They can be so emboldened because they are meeting no resistance and decide to take over a town,” Mr Kerrow said.
He said that despite the central government’s claims that it has increased the police and army presence in the county, there is a lack of co-ordination and commitment to tackle insecurity in Mandera.
Mr Kenyatta, the president, has been criticised for not cutting short a four-day official trip to Abu Dhabi after 28 people were killed in the bus attack. Public anger grew after pictures emerged on social media apparently showing Mr Kenyatta in a selfie at a social event and reports from media in the United Arab Emirates that he was attending Formula 1 championships instead of addressing the security crisis at home.
Source: FT Africa
President Uhuru Kenyatta named Joseph Nkaissery, an opposition politician and retired army general, as the new interior minister in charge of security. Police Chief David Kimaiyo resigned, citing personal reasons. Public pressure had been mounting for the two officials to be replaced following a string of extremist attacks.
The Tuesday killings happened at a quarry in Mandera County near the border with Somalia and the attackers escaped. They singled out the non-Muslims and killed them in an incident similar to an extremist attack on a bus 10 days ago. The slaughter was claimed by al-Shabaab, which has been fighting for years to establish hardline Islamist rule in Somalia.
At the quarry, a group of about 50 heavily armed men walked into the camp at 12.30am as the workers were sleeping and fired warning shots, said Peter Nderitu, a worker at the quarry. Mr Nderitu said that when he heard the shooting he ran and hid in a trench, from where he could hear his colleagues being asked to recite the Shahada, an Islamic creed declaring oneness with God. Then gunshots followed. He only rose from his hiding place two hours later when he was sure there was no more movement, he said, and discovered the bodies of his colleagues arranged in two rows, nearly all shot in the back of the head. The quarry camp is on the outskirts of Mandera town.
Sheikh Ali Mohamud Rage, an al-Shabaab spokesman, said the latest attack was a response to Kenya's troop presence in Somalia and alleged atrocities committed by the Kenyan army there. Al-Shabaab claimed an air strike killed innocent people and destroyed their property; the government said the air strike was in response to a November 22 al-Shabaab attack on bus passengers in Mandera County that left 28 people dead. In that attack, the non-Muslims were also separated from other passengers and shot dead.
About 100 non-Muslims last week sought refuge at the army base in Mandera demanding that the government evacuate them. Joseph Kinyua, Mr Kenyatta's chief of staff, attempted to persuade non-Muslims from leaving Mandera county, whose population is predominantly Kenyan Muslims of Somali origin. The governor, Ali Roba, survived an improvised explosive device attack on his vehicle on October 15.
The quarry attack came hours after a hotel in Wajir, also in northern Kenya, was hit by a grenade and gunfire, killing one person and wounding 13, police said.
Al-Shabaab has vowed to attack Kenya for sending its troops into Somalia to fight the rebels. The Kenyan military was deployed to Somalia in October 2011. Since then Kenya has experienced a series of attacks blamed on the militants.
“I have been saying for a long time that these terrorists want to create chaos in the country by creating divisions between Muslims and Christians,” said Billow Kerrow, a senator for Mandera county. He said al-Shabaab is also trying to fuel tribal animosity by choosing to attack other tribes and leaving out the Kenyan Somali community who are the majority in Mandera county.
“I am worried that this may get out of hand. They can be so emboldened because they are meeting no resistance and decide to take over a town,” Mr Kerrow said.
He said that despite the central government’s claims that it has increased the police and army presence in the county, there is a lack of co-ordination and commitment to tackle insecurity in Mandera.
Mr Kenyatta, the president, has been criticised for not cutting short a four-day official trip to Abu Dhabi after 28 people were killed in the bus attack. Public anger grew after pictures emerged on social media apparently showing Mr Kenyatta in a selfie at a social event and reports from media in the United Arab Emirates that he was attending Formula 1 championships instead of addressing the security crisis at home.
Source: FT Africa
