Tag Archives: UN

Kenyan-Led Mission to Restore Stability in Haiti: A Historic Stand for Humanity

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In a bold move towards global solidarity and humanitarian aid, Kenya is stepping up to tackle the rampant gang violence in Haiti. This week marks a significant milestone as the first contingent of Kenyan police officers departs for the Caribbean nation, aiming to restore order and bring hope to its beleaguered population.

Haiti has been engulfed in chaos for years, with violent gangs controlling much of the capital, Port-au-Prince. This lawlessness has led to widespread killings, kidnappings, and sexual violence, leaving the economy in ruins and essential services paralyzed. Hospitals have shut down, supply routes are blocked, and over half a million Haitians have been forced to flee their homes. With around half the population struggling to find enough food, the situation is dire. The crisis reached a breaking point in March when Prime Minister Ariel Henry was forced to resign amidst the escalating violence, underscoring the urgent need for a solution.

International efforts to stabilise Haiti have had a troubled history. The UN peacekeeping mission (MINUSTAH), which operated from 2004 to 2017, was marred by controversies, including civilian deaths, a cholera outbreak, and allegations of sexual abuse by peacekeepers. Despite these setbacks, the urgency of the situation in Haiti cannot be ignored. Gangs have tightened their grip on critical resources, including the main fuel terminal, effectively holding the nation hostage. The recent release of $100 million in US funding for the Kenyan-led mission reflects a renewed international commitment to addressing the crisis. This funding is not just for the immediate deployment of police but also for long-term projects aimed at restoring security and aiding Haiti’s recovery.

President Ruto flags off the first contingent of Kenyan police officers to Haiti

The Kenyan-led mission brings a fresh wave of hope for Haiti. Kenya is taking the lead by deploying an initial contingent of 400 police officers, with another 600 to follow. This mission is supported by personnel from Jamaica, the Bahamas, Barbados, Chad, and Bangladesh, all primarily funded by the United States. The goal is clear: break the stranglehold of gang violence, reopen humanitarian aid routes, and restore economic activity.

Kenyan President William Ruto emphasized the mission’s importance, calling it a historic stand for humanity and universal values. This mission aims to create a secure environment that will allow Haiti to hold its first elections since 2016, paving the way for lasting peace and stability. By addressing the root causes of the violence and providing robust support, the Kenyan-led mission offers a real chance for Haiti to rebuild and move forward.

As the Kenyan police officers embark on this critical mission, they carry with them the hopes of not just the Haitian people but the entire international community. Their bravery and dedication stand as a testament to the power of global solidarity and the unwavering commitment to humanitarian aid. This mission is more than just a deployment; it’s a beacon of hope for a nation in desperate need of stability and peace.

References

Capital News President Ruto flags off the first 400 Kenyan police officers headed to Haiti

The Humanitarian US releases funding for Kenya-led Haiti police mission

UN Deadly Violence in Haiti at Record High, Some Worst Scenarios Now Realities, Special Representative Tells Security Council, Urging Deployment of Support Mission

Reuters Kenyan police to arrive in Haiti this week, US State Department says

AP Haiti’s transitional council appoints new Cabinet tasked with leading a country under siege by gangs

Kenya’s decision for Syrian regime change is not informed

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Kenya’s Ambassador & Permanent Representative at Kenya Mission to United Nations, Macharia Kamau, “cautioned that the UN’s call for Mr. Assad to leave office must not be interpreted as an invitation to Western intervention in Syria, as did occur in Libya in response to a UN resolution adopted last year.”

It is ridiculous to not think that the West’s main agenda is to interfere with the internal affairs of and about Syria! Even so, how much success has the west achieved by intervening in chaotic situations in other states, with the promise of bringing about peace and prosperity? Negligible if any, contrary to the so many cases, where much more violence and destruction, became the order of the day, upon the exit of foreign forces. Look back at Somali, Afghanistan, and in that case, Libya. There’s clearly something aloof. Saudi Arabia’s  U.N. Ambassador, Abdallah Y. Al- Mouallimi, was quoted saying, ” today, the U.N. General Assembly sent a clear message to the people of Syria: the world is with you.” A skeptic person may ask: “Is he really representative of Syria’s people and the situation there?” I would rather Bashar Ja’afari, Syria’s U.N. Ambassador’s comments, which actually state more or less contrary, to Ambassador Abdallah’s. (“The resolution will send a message to extremists that “violence and deliberate sabotage” are acceptable and will lead “to more chaos and more crises.”)

In respect to international law, and in the context of sovereignty of states, it is wrong to impose conditions on a state’s people. “In article 2(7) of the UN Charter, it is stated that the charter gives no competence to the UN or to the UN Members to intervene in matters that are substantially under the neutral jurisdiction of a State.” Syria is not a fallen state, unfortunately, the vote defiles the very spirit of these words. Recall that “in the classic view, international law and democracy are simply not related. International law is to remain neutral vis-à-vis any political model.”

References:

East Africa: Kenya Votes At UN for Syrian Regime Change allAfrica.com 18th February, 2012

Stance on Syria proves China as firm supporter of U.N. Charter: expert xinhuanet.com 17th February 2012

China opposes armed intervention or forcing “regime change” in Syria xinhuanet.com 17th February 2012

Egypt recalls its ambassador to Syria xinhuanet.com 19th February 2012

Syria responds “positively” to Al protocol, proposes minor amendments xinhuanet.com 18th February 2012

UN General Assembly condemns Syria The State 16th February 2012

Drought Situation in East Africa

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In August 2010, World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Climate Prediction Center (NOAA/CPC), both, officially declared a La Nina event.

Sea Surface Temperature (SST) measurements in 2010 indicated rapid cooling, thus yielding “a moderate La Nina event…” projected to last for 9 to 12 months, Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWSNET) reported. “La Nina events are generally associated with drier than normal conditions in the eastern sector of East Africa, and wetter than normal conditions in the western and northern sector of the region.” FEWSNET reported. According to National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the La Nina phenomenon results in “drought over most parts of East Africa and floods and lush vegetation in Australia and other parts of southeast Asia.” guardian.co.uk reported. Jan de Leeuw, the Operating Project Leader (OPL) in the Vulnerability and sustainability in pastoral and agro-pastoral systems within ILRI’s People, Livestock and Environment theme (PLE) was put on record saying, “this La Nina event is one of the strongest since the 1970s.” Meanwhile, Daily Nation reported that “Kenya has been listed among countries facing the world’s worst food security crisis in the eastern horn of Africa.” Further afield, Associated Press (AP) reported that, “UN officials sounded the alarm Tuesday about a deepening humanitarian crisis in East Africa caused by a severe drought and fighting in Somalia…” Approximately 10 million people in northern Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, Eritrea and South Sudan need urgent humanitarian assistance as the region experiences the worst drought in 60 years. An estimated 1,300 Somali refugees stream into Dadaab refugee camp daily following continued conflict in Somali, coupled with severe drought. The situation on the ground is getting worse as the world’s largest refugee camp- Dadaab, in Kenya has been forced to house people, four times its full capacity.

I echo Kimani wa Njuguna’s opinion on Tuesday that, “Rather than being preoccupied with weighty bread and butter issues which will add value to the lives of Kenyans, we have seen most elected leaders concentrating on non-issues like singing to the tune of tribal kingpins, how to escape paying taxes, and the 2012 elections.” Real issues are on the ground; drought, a looming food shortage, high inflation, delayed constitutional implementations, and so on. “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty”, Winston Churchill said. The Kenyan Government should savor the opportunity to act decisively and do something significant to comprehensively take care of the current drought situation.

What’s your say?

The Conversation begins…

References:

Kenya in urgent need of food aid, says US Daily Nation July 11, 2011

La Nina blamed for east African drought guardian.co.uk July 14, 2011

UN struggling to cope with East Africa drought Associated Press July 12, 2011

Executive Brief: La Nina and Food Security in East Africa August 2010 FEWSNET as of July 14, 2011

East African drought ‘worst in 60 years’ Channel 4 News June 28, 2011

Leaders must get their priorities right and put food security at top of agenda Daily Nation:-Opinion July 12, 2011

 

 

 

Unexploded Ordnance Kills Five Children

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Four children aged between six and twelve were killed on Sunday following a fatal detonation of what has since been said to be an anti-personnel bomb. A fifth child involved in the same incident succumbed to injuries while undergoing treatment at the Kenyatta National Hospital. The explosion occurred 25 kilometers north of Ngong Town, while the five youngsters were out grazing cattle in Ole Maroroi village, Ewaso Kedong.

Police have revealed that the bomb was an unexploded munition from the nearby Ngong Range, used for training by the military and police. This incident is related to similar accidents reported in Samburu, where there have been explosives left behind after military training sessions by the local and military personnel from Britain. News From Africa reported that, “more than 200 accidents have been recorded in the area where the British forces have been carrying out exercises.” Unexploded ordnances, sometimes brightly coloured, are compared to toys that attract children. These unexploded ordnances are “explosive weapons (bombs, bullets, shells, grenades, land mines, naval mines, etc.) that did not explode when they were employed and still pose a risk of detonation…”- Wikipedia.org. Human Rights activists have indicated that, “one in four casualties resulting from sub-munition that fail to explode on impact are children who often pick up and play with the explosive canisters…” UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon spoke of “not only the world’s collective revulsion at these abhorrent weapons, but also the power of collaboration among governments, civil society and the UN to change attitudes and policies on a threat faced by all humankind”, referring to his contribution as the Convention on Cluster Munitions, Dublin, entered into force.httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1p82jNCJNlk Kenya signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) in Oslo, Norway in December 2008 to express her “commitment to support efforts aimed at limiting the indiscriminate effects to civilians of Cluster Munitions as areas affected are not suitable for economic development and growth.” However, Kenya has not yet ratified the treaty. The Attorney General’s office alleges that competing priorities have stalled the process, and that ratification of the treaty in Kenya requires approval by the cabinet. Nobel peace prize winner Jody Williams called the convention “the most important disarmament and humanitarian convention…”

Capital FM website reported on May 9th that, Military Spokesman Bogita Ongeri was “non committal when asked if families of the children killed will be compensated by the Department of Defense.” The government should speedily ratify the CCM such that Kenya joins other States Parties who have “resolved to do their utmost in providing assistance to Cluster Munition victims, including medical care, rehabilitation and psychological support, as well as providing for their social and economic inclusion.”httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlcGHj5sosY&feature=player_embedded#at=25

 

References:

Tragedy as four boys are killed in bomb blast DAILY NATION May 11th,2011

Military on the Spot over Death of Five Boys News From Africa May 10th,2011

KENYA’S RESPONSE TO THE UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY
GENERAL’S REQUEST FOR VIEWS ON INTERRELATION
BETWEEN ARMED VIOLENCE AND DEVELOPMENT Google Docs (as of) May 11th,2011

Kenya Cluster Munition Ban Policy Landmine & Cluster Munition Monitor (as of) May 11th,2011

DIPLOMATIC CONFERENCE FOR
THE ADOPTION OF A CONVENTION
ON CLUSTER MUNITIONS Google Docs (as of) May 11th,2011

 

 

UNSC Declines Kenya Deferral Bid

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The Pursuit by the ICC prosecutor, Luis Moreno Ocampo to prosecute the six suspects of the Kenya-Post-Election violence, following the disputed elections in 2007, has seen much unprecedented development. The decision by the Presidency of the International Criminal Court (ICC), authorizing the prosecutor to open investigations into the situation in Kenya, gave Ocampo the opportunity to present his evidence to the Pre-Trial Chamber II for scrutiny in an effort to enforce the issuance of summonses to the Ocampo Six, to appear before the court. On the contrary, the Kenyan President, Mwai Kibaki, appointed a seven-member  team, led by H.E Vice-President, Kalonzo Musyoka, to lobby the 15 United Nations Security Council (UNSC) members to accept Kenya’s bid for deferral of the International Criminal Court cases involving the Ocampo Six.

Diplomats at the UNSC reprobated the Kenyan bid saying Kenya chose a wrong option to seek the 12-month deferral at the UN, rather than presenting its plea directly to the ICC. This decision by the UNSC has nullified the shuttle diplomacy mission being implemented by Kalonzo Musyoka and the President Mwai Kibaki’s wing of government. The pedestal of the shuttle diplomacy is fixed on the idea that Kenya is now in a position of establishing a credible local-tribunal to try the PEV suspects. The proponents of this diplomatic mission argue that trials at the Hague will threaten Kenya’s national stability. However, Article 16, of the Rome Statute, establishing the ICC allows for deferral of cases for countries, in the event that the proceedings at the court threaten international peace. Thus, Kenya on Friday 18th March failed in its quest to overly convince the UNSC that such a threat exists.

Time is speedily running out for any disengaging maneuver upon prosecution of the Ocampo Six at the Hague, now that they have been issued with summonses to appear before the Judges at the ICC on 7th April, and in addition the UNSC decry on deferral of the cases. Kenya can still pursue the deferral option by setting up credible judicial systems that are capable of handling the cases as stipulated in Article 19 of the Rome Statute.

 

References:

www.nation.co.ke, Why Kenya failed to defer ICC cases at Security Council (22nd March 2011)

www.icc-cpi.int, Situations and Cases (22nd March 2011)

www.kbc.co.ke, UNSC declines Kenyan bid on ICC deferral (22nd March 2011)