Sudan summons EU envoy over Bashir's Kenya visit

Sudan summons EU envoy over Bashir's Kenya visit
Report from Reuters - Tuesday, 31 August 2010 9:26pm GMT

(KHARTOUM) - Sudan summoned the EU ambassador on Tuesday to protest against a European Union statement criticising Kenya for hosting President Omar Hassan al-Bashir last week, Sudanese state media said.

The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Bashir for war crimes and genocide in Sudan's western Darfur region during a counter-insurgency campaign.

The African Union has told its member states not to cooperate with the warrant. ICC judges reported Kenya, which is a member of the court, to the U.N. Security Council because Kenya did not arrest Bashir who attended the signing of the new Kenyan constitution.

Sudan's foreign ministry said a statement by the EU's high representative for foreign affairs, Catherine Ashton, raising concern at Bashir's Kenya visit was "totally unacceptable".

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on the EU to end its double standard of giving immunity from legal proceedings to certain nationalities while targeting African countries alone," state news agency SUNA said.

Relations between Sudan and Western nations which support the ICC have been strained since the warrant for Bashir was issued in March 2009.

Bashir's movements have been restricted to nearby Middle Eastern and African allies since the warrant was issued and he was forced to cancel a visit to Turkey last year after EU pressure on Ankara.

His visit to Kenya on Friday was his second to a full African member of the ICC and a media coup for Bashir. He travelled to Chad last month.

Rights groups censured Kenya which has its own case pending in the ICC over post-elections violence. South Africa and Botswana are among the few African nations who have defied the AU and said they would implement the ICC warrant. (Reporting by Opheera McDoom; Editing by Peter Graff)

Kenya in vigorous defence of Bashir's visit

Daily Nation - Njeri Rugene - ‎Tuesday, 31 August 2010

Kenya's minister for foreign affairs Mosses Wetangula addresses a press conferences at his office. The minister on Tuesday gave a spirited defence in ...

Al-Bashir visit to Kenya was in order, says AU

Daily Nation - ‎‎Tuesday, 31 August 2010

Hezron Njoroge | NATION Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir (centre) speaks to an aide after attending the historic promulgation of the new Constitution at ...

Kenya defends Bashir's visit

Kenya Broadcasting Corporation -

‎‎Tuesday, 31 August 2010

The government's commitment to cooperate with the Intrnational Criminal Court to prosecute post election violence suspects was put to question in parliament ...

Kenya, African Union defend Bashir visit

CNN International - ‎

- ‎‎Tuesday, 31 August 2010

By the CNN Wire Staff Al-Bashir, right, alongside Comoros President Ahmed Sambi Abdallah, center, and Rwandan President Paul Kagame, left. ...

Kenyan Lawmaker to Demand Answers about Sudan Leader's Visit

Voice of America - Peter Clottey - ‎22 hours ago‎

Photo: AP A Kenyan lawmaker told VOA he will demand answers from the foreign minister in parliament Tuesday about the controversial invitation of Sudan's ...

Sudan: UN Protests Over Al-Bashir's Visit to Nation

AllAfrica.com - ‎

‎‎Tuesday, 31 August 2010

The President of Sudan has committed crimes against humanity-crimes against Africans and yet the African Union is prepared to keep quiet about it. ...

EU: Statement by the spokesperson of HR Catherine Ashton on Sudanese President Al-Bashir's visit to Kenya

HERE below, followed by some related news reports, is a copy of a statement issued on Friday, 27 August 2010 from the European Union (EU) in Brussels by the spokesperson of High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the Commission Catherine Ashton.

EU raps Kenya over Bashir visit
From KBC (Kenya Broadcasting Corporation)
By Rosalia Opondo/Millicent Awuor
Monday, 30 August 2010

The European Union on Monday warned Kenya to tread carefully to avoid violating international laws.

This follows the presence of Sudanese President Omar El Bashir in last Friday's constitution promulgation ceremony despite there being a warrant of arrest for him by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The EU urged the country to stick to its mandate and obligation under the Rome statute that she is a signatory to.

The Sudanese President is being sought by ICC for crimes against humanity committed in the Darfur region where thousands have died and millions others displaced in a conflict pitting the country's military and police against rebel groups.

In a statement, the spokesperson of the EU High Representative Catherine Ashton said Kenya should respect its obligations under international law to arrest and surrender those indicted by the ICC.

The EU asked Kenya to continue to cooperate with the ICC in its investigation into the 2007-2008 post-election violence in the country where several people are being investigated by the court.

"The European Union is a staunch supporter of the ICC as a valuable instrument of the international community to combat impunity for the most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a whole; genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes must not go unpunished and their prosecution must be ensured by measures at both domestic and international level, " Ashton said.

On Sunday former UN Secretary General and chairperson of the Eminent African personalities Kofi Annan said he was surprised to see Bashir in Nairobi.

Annan who brokered the National Accord to end a bloody conflict following the disputed results of the 2007 presidential elections and who attended the ceremony on Friday demanded that the Kenyan government clarifies its position, commitment and cooperation with the International Criminal Court.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has however defended Bashir's visit saying Kenya has no apologies to make as it placed regional integration and security above international laws.

- - -

EU urges Kenya to arrest Bashir, hand him to court
Report from AFP and EU Business - Friday, 27 August 2010, 18:19 CET

(BRUSSELS) - European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton urged Kenya on Friday to arrest Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and hand him over to an international court to face genocide charges.

"The high representative is concerned by the visit of President Omar Al-Bashir to Kenya, a State party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC)," Ashton's office said in a statement.

"She urges Kenya to respect its obligations under international law to arrest and surrender those indicted by the ICC," it said.

Bashir was among several African leaders who attended a ceremony in Nairobi in which Kenya's President Mwai Kibaki signed a new constitution into law.

The Sudanese president is subject to two arrest warrants issued by the ICC for atrocities committed by his forces in Sudan's western province of Darfur.

Kenya, as a signatory to the treaty which set up the ICC, is obliged to cooperate with the court and arrest Bashir.

It was Bashir's second visit to a signatory of the Rome Statute following a trip to Chad last month. At the time, Ashton had also urged Chad to arrest Bashir, but Chad ignored her plea.

The chief EU diplomat said the ICC was a "valuable instrument of the international community to combat impunity for the most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a whole."

She added that "genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes must not go unpunished and their prosecution must be ensured by measures at both domestic and international level."

In her statement, Ashton also urged Nairobi "to continue to cooperate with the ICC in its investigation into the 2007-2008 post-election violence" in Kenya.

Text and Picture Copyright 2010 AFP. All other Copyright 2010 EUbusiness Ltd. All rights reserved. This material is intended solely for personal use. Any other reproduction, publication or redistribution of this material without the written agreement of the copyright owner is strictly forbidden and any breach of copyright will be considered actionable

Related reports:

• EU chiefs salute Kenyan voters
• EU earmarks money for Kenyan camps housing Somali refugees
• EU to urge Sudan to meet Bashir arrest obligation
• EU urges Chad to arrest Beshir
• Expulsion of Darfur aid chiefs hurts Sudanese people: EU

- - -

Statement by the spokesperson of HR Catherine Ashton on President Al-Bashir's visit to Kenya
Source: EUROPEAN UNION
Brussels, 27 August 2010
A 169/10 - Copy in full:

The spokesperson of High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the Commission Catherine Ashton issued the following statement today:

"The High Representative is concerned by the visit of President Omar Al-Bashir to Kenya, a State party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

She firmly recalls the importance of all Member States of the United Nations abiding by and implementing the resolutions adopted by the Security Council under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, in this case, UNSCR 1593 (2005). She urges Kenya to respect its obligations under international law to arrest and surrender those indicted by the ICC.

She calls upon Kenya to continue to cooperate with the ICC in its investigation into the 2007-2008 post-election violence.

The European Union is a staunch supporter of the ICC as a valuable instrument of the international community to combat impunity for the most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a whole; genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes must not go unpunished and their prosecution must be ensured by measures at both domestic and international level."

PRESS
FOR FURTHER DETAILS:
Maja Kocijancic +32 498 984 425 - +32 2 298 65 70 - Maja.Kocijancic@ec.europa.eu
Darren Ennis +32 498 963 293 - +32 2 296 32 93 - Darren.Ennis@ec.europa.eu
COMM-SPP-HRVP-ASHTON@ec.europa.eu
www.eeas.europa.eu

ICC issues Press Release about Sudanese President Bashir’s visits to Kenya and Chad

Press Release: 27.08.2010

عربي

Pre-Trial Chamber I informs the Security Council and the Assembly of States Parties about Omar Al Bashir’s visits to Kenya and Chad

ICC-CPI-20100827-PR568

Case: The Prosecutor v. Omar Hassan Ahmad Al Bashir
Situation: Darfur, Sudan

Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued two decisions informing the Security Council of the United Nations and the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute about Omar Al Bashir’s visits to the Republic of Kenya and the Republic of Chad, “in order for them to take any measure they may deem appropriate”.

The Chamber had learnt that Al Bashir was invited by the Government of Kenya to attend today’s celebrations for the promulgation of the new Kenyan Constitution and was in Chad from 21 to 23 July. The Republic of Kenya and the Republic of Chad have an “obligation to cooperate with the Court” to enforce the warrants of arrest issued against Al Bashir by the ICC, according to the Chamber.

The ICC Registrar was ordered to immediately transmit these decisions to the Security Council and to the Assembly of States Parties. Previously, pursuant to the Pre-Trial Chamber decisions issuing two warrants of arrest against Omar Al Bashir, the ICC Registrar had issued and transmitted requests for arrest and surrender of Mr. Al Bashir to all States Parties to the Rome Statute, including the Republic of Kenya and the Republic of Chad.

On 4 March, 2009, Pre-Trial Chamber I of the ICC issued a first warrant of arrest against Mr. Al Bashir considering that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the suspect is criminally responsible for five counts of crimes against humanity and two counts for war crimes. A second warrant of arrest was issued against Mr. Al Bashir, on 12 July, 2010, for three counts of genocide.

The situation in Darfur was referred to the International Criminal Court by the United Nations Security Council’s resolution 1593, on 31 March, 2005. In this situation, four cases are being heard: The Prosecutor v. Ahmad Muhammad Harun (“Ahmad Harun”) and Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman (“Ali Kushayb”); The Prosecutor v. Omar Hassan Ahmad Al Bashir; The Prosecutor v. Bahar Idriss Abu Garda and The Prosecutor v. Abdallah Banda Abakaer Nourain and Saleh Mohammed Jerbo Jamus.

Decision informing the United Nations Security Council and the Assembly of the States Parties to the Rome Statute about Omar Al-Bashir's presence in the territory of the Republic of Kenya

Decision informing the United Nations Security Council and the Assembly of the States Parties to the Rome Statute about Omar Al-Bashir's recent visit to the Republic of Chad

For further information please contact Sonia Robla, Chief of Public Information and Documentation Section, at +31 (0)70 515-8089 or +31 (0) 6 46 44 87 26 or at sonia.robla@icc-cpi.int

25,000 Kenyans living in southern Sudan can not vote on constitutional referendum

Report by Radio Miraya - Wednesday, 04 August 2010 20:57
Last Updated Thursday, 05 August 2010 09:58:

Kenyans living in S Sudan can not vote on constitutional referendum

The Kenya Consul in Juba, Ibrahim Khamis, has said that over twenty five thousand Kenyans living in Southern Sudan can not vote on a constitutional referendum process which started on Wednesday.

Khamis said that the Kenyans living in southern Sudan could not participate in the voting process because the consulate is not legally registered as a polling station. He added that some of the Kenyans have traveled home in order to vote.

Kenya Airways starts flights to Juba, S. Sudan

Report by Radio Miraya - Tuesday, 08 June 2010 14:32:

The Kenya Airways has made its first flight to Southern Sudan on Tuesday. In an official launch ceremony attended by senior officials of Southern Sudan, the Vice President Riek Machar Teny said that Kenya Airways operation in Southern Sudan will boost economy of the region. Machar said that Juba airport still lacks landing safety, security, water, and lighting on the runway.

The Southern Sudan Caretaker Minister of Roads and Transport, Anthony Lino Makana said that the coming of Kenya Airways to Juba is a landmark towards development of Southern Sudan.

Makana said Juba airport at the moment receive average of seventy planes every day. He also said there are plans to improve Juba international airport.

Kenyan donor money and firms helping build S. Sudan

Sudan: Donor Money And Firms Helping Build South
Report from Daily Nation On The Web (via AllAfrica) by Murithi Mutiga - Saturday, 5 June 2010:

(Nairobi) - Kenya is accustomed to being a recipient of aid. But in its relationship with Southern Sudan, it is playing a new and unfamiliar role: That of donor country.

The government is investing millions of shillings to set up new administrative structures in the South, underscoring the importance it attaches to its relationship with the government in Juba.

Kenya has given US$5 million (Sh400m) to boost the capacity of the South's civil service and has sent dozens of its own experienced public officials to train their counterparts across the border.

Most of this assistance is motivated by strategic calculations based on the expected outcome of a referendum on self-determination expected in Southern Sudan next year.

Opinion polls and Sunday Nation interviews with key leaders in the region indicate the referendum is overwhelmingly likely to result in the breaking up of Sudan, continent's biggest country, to establish Africa's 54th state.

Such an outcome would have a major impact on the economies of neighbours Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia. The three are locked in a race to cement their influence in Southern Sudan and are working to position themselves to benefit from the likely emergence of the new state.

Foreign Affairs minister Moses Wetang'ula said the government would respect the outcome of the referendum.

"Kenya has always played a neutral role. Down the years, we hosted the Sudan embassy and the offices of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM). That is why we were chosen to host the peace talks. As part of the deal that ended the fighting, both parties were supposed to work to make unity attractive. The referendum is a key component of the peace agreement, and we will be happy to recognise a result that endorses unity or one that leads to separation," he said.

While Kenya has long been criticised for punching below its geopolitical weight in its approach to foreign policy in the region, it is employing an unusually muscular approach in Southern Sudan. It has spent millions of shillings and expended considerable diplomatic capital to take advantage of the opportunities opening up in the region.

According to a new report by the International Crisis Group titled Regional perspectives on the prospect of southern independence, Kenyan investment in Southern Sudan is substantial.

A Southern Sudan Liaison Office has been set up at the Office of the President in Nairobi. The unit, the report says, is "dedicated to supporting the Government of South Sudan (GoSS) and the SPLM. Led by diplomats with knowledge of the Sudan file, its mandate includes monitoring the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, advising President Kibaki and serving as the principal liaison for the majority of official interaction with Juba. It also advises Kenyan business interests and facilitates commercial links between investors and the GoSS."

The Kenya Institute of Administration, which is the traditional training centre for civil servants in Kenya, has set up a campus in Juba to contribute to training programmes in the region.

According to the ICG, Kenyan civil servants are taking part in a separate training programme run by the United Nations Development Programme.

Legal experts from Nairobi are working with the parliament in Juba to help in drafting legislation, while Southern Sudan "regularly sends senior ministry officials to Nairobi where they shadow their Kenyan counterparts".

Military ties

The report says there are also significant and growing military ties between the two partners.

"The Kenyan army trains SPLA (Sudan People's Liberation Army) officers and provides other technical support, including several de-mining classes at the International Mine Action School in Embakasi. It also maintains a rotating battalion of peacekeepers in the South as part of the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS)."

Mr Wetang'ula says this deep relationship is explained by historical circumstances.

"Kenya hosted more than 100,000 Southerners during the civil war. Most leaders of the SPLM maintain their homes in Nairobi, and their children study here. The people in the South also feel a greater affinity to people in the East African region because of shared roots, perhaps more than they do with their brothers in the Arab North."

The minister said the relationship is not driven solely by Kenyan economic interests in the South as ties between the two will be "mutually beneficial".

Economists say the potential benefits for Kenya in the event the South votes for separation are staggering. "This is a potential game changer," said investment banker and analyst Aly-Khan Satchu.

"Kenya's economy rides on the coattails of its neighbours, and two events in the recent past will mean the economy will never be the same again. Uganda's expected revenue from oil is 20 times more than their current Gross Domestic Product while Southern Sudan presents massive opportunities."

Mr Satchu said the South's potential should not just be viewed through the lens of potential oil revenue, which has hovered between the US$1.5 billion (Sh120 billion) and US$ 2 billion (Sh160 billion) mark in the last five years.

"It is widely thought that the South is not getting its fair share of oil revenues from the North under the current agreement, so they may end up getting far higher income after the separation. But there is far more potential in the region. There are vast untapped gold deposits, and there is great potential for agriculture.

The South needs a route to sea, and Kenya will be able to offer that. The question is whether we can complete the infrastructure programmes necessary fast enough to take advantage."

The centrepiece of Kenya's efforts to take advantage of the looming independence of the South is the Lamu port, which is expected to cost about Sh1.2 trillion.

The Chinese-built facility would ease dependence on the port of Mombasa, which has been criticised as inefficient by officials in many neighbouring countries that depend on it.

A railway line from Juba through Isiolo and Lamu is also planned as is a 1,400-km pipeline from Juba to the Lamu port. Japanese firm Toyota Tsusho has expressed an interest in building the $1.5 billion (Sh120 billion) line, which would provide Southern Sudan with a more attractive export route than the existing 1,600km line to Port Sudan in the North.

These ambitious projects have been billed as having the potential to treble Kenya's export income. But a familiar challenge stands in the way.

Demands by senior government officials for large bribes before they commission many of the projects have delayed implementation, to the frustration of officials in Southern Sudan and other governments in the region.

Several western diplomatic sources and a number of government officials with knowledge of the matter who requested anonymity said Kenya has a direct interest in completing the projects, but corruption was stalling implementation.

While Uganda has nearly completed repairs of the Gulu-Juba road which is an important transport link to the region, Kenya is still in the commissioning stages for its railway projects and a feasibility study on the Lamu port is only now being undertaken.

Cohesive team

Mr Satchu says government officials must work in concert to implement these initiatives.

"We need more proactive management on a day to day basis. We don't seem to have a cohesive team on the ground working to advance Kenya's economic interests. We have major infrastructure deficits. Considering how clear the economic benefits of implementation of these projects are, we should be working far more proactively."

Like Uganda, Kenya has sent thousands of skilled workers to Southern Sudan, and it will have to work to avoid creating the impression that it is benefiting disproportionately from the economic opportunities in the South to the exclusion of locals.

The weak level of non-oil exports from Southern Sudan is partly blamed on the resource curse which diminishes productivity in other sectors in some Third World countries.

The prominent academic and blogger John A. Akec has lamented this situation.

"In the last five years, establishing a system to collect taxes has been slow. Development of other means of income has not started. We imported everything from chicken, to tomato, to razor, to toilet rolls from Uganda and Kenya; and exported nothing to them. We sent our children to Uganda and Kenya for their education, and rushed there ourselves when not feeling well to buy the medical services from these countries or travel further afield in quest for medical treatment. Seventy per cent of South Sudan income was paid out as salaries in the public sector, while getting nothing back by the of way economic output."

Kenyan officials say they are trying to help the South diversify its economy by investing heavily in manpower development and training programmes.

Mr Wetang'ula pointed out that Kenyan educational institutions do not charge a higher fee for students from the South, which is the practice for students from outside the East African Community.

The efforts to boost cultural ties, he said, were also demonstrated by the opening of a University of Nairobi campus in Lokichoggio on the Kenyan border with the South. The biggest population of students there is Southern Sudanese.

But all the bets on a major leap in economic ties may fall through, however, if the North and the South do not respect their obligations under the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.

So far, both sides have largely respected the deal. But some southern ministers have warned that they will demand a unilateral declaration of independence if anything happens to disrupt the referendum, something which Kenya has cautioned against.

Kenya joins Nile agreement, Egyptian Water Minister visits Khartoum

Kenya joins Nile agreement, Egyptian Water Minister visits Khartoum
From Radio Miraya - Thursday, 20 May 2010; 14:32:

Kenya joined on Wednesday the Nile water treaty, signed earlier by four countries of the Nile basin, Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda and Eritrea. Burundi and Democratic Republic of Congo are also expected to sign the treaty while Sudan and Egypt boycott it.

Speaking last week to Radio Miraya, the Sudanese Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources, Kamal Muhamed Ali, said that Sudan will not sign any agreement that will ‘negatively impact' the country's water security and ‘jeopardize' previous Nile water agreements.

The Egyptian Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Mohamed Nasreddin Allam arrived in Khartoum on Wednesday for a two-day visit to discuss Nile cooperation with his Sudanese counterpart.

In a press release at Khartoum airport Allam said that his visit aims to continue the Sudanese-Egyptian consultations, and joint coordination on the use of the Nile waters to serve the Nile basin countries and its people.

30 million mobile phone users in Kenya soon able to keep their number when changing providers

Dutch Provide Kenya With Number Portability
From PR Newswire /APO - Monday, 10 May 2010:

DELFT, The Netherlands and NAIROBI, Kenya, May 10, 2010 /PRNewswire/ — Within a couple of months 30 million mobile users in Kenya are able to keep their mobile phone number when changing providers. The Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) has chosen the Dutch company PortingXS to provide number portability to the East-African country.

Until now, changing providers in Africa without losing your mobile phone number was only possible in Morocco, Egypt and South-Africa. Kenya is one of the leading African countries when it comes to mobile technology, even allowing its 38 million inhabitants to make financial transactions through their mobile phones, but it lacked the service of number portability.

To offer mobile users more freedom of choice and enhance competition and consumer convenience, Kenya started a tender for number portability in October last year. Of the six firms that made a bid – some African, some European – PortingXS came out as best. According to CEO Ronald Vlasman, PortingXS not only due to economical reasons, but also because his company will provide services from a local office in Nairobi and will train local students to employ them.

Kenya has 30 million mobile users. The main providers are Safaricom (78 percent), Zain Kenya (17 percent), Orange (4 percent) and Yu (1 percent). Changing providers is difficult for clients, because they lose their number in the process.

PortingXS will start number portability services in a few months, depending on the consultations with national providers and the CCK. “It’s our first giant step into the African continent, but definitely not our last,” CEO Ronald Vlasman states. “There are talks with surrounding and other African countries to implement number portability as we speak and we hope we can provide our services there as well.”

In the Netherlands, PortingXS provides services to two third of the operators. Two years ago the company stepped into the international market and it handles number portability on the isles of Guernsey, Jersey and The Isle of Man.

New plot to block ICC's Ocampo

New plot to block ICC's Ocampo to "give Kenya breathing space"

New plot to block Ocampo
From The Standard (Kenya)
By Juma Kwayera
Saturday, 08 May 2010

As International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo arrives in Kenya, a group of African States plans to petition the United Nations Security Council to defer the investigations until after the next General Election.

The 60 African lobbyists — who include academics, politicians and lawyers — plan a parallel meeting to an ICC Review Meeting scheduled for May 31 to June 11 in the Ugandan capital, Kampala.

The push to stop Moreno-Ocampo from pursuing post-election violence suspects has been met with stinging criticism from local human rights groups, who read desperate attempts by forces culpable in the violence that consumed the country in the aftermath of the highly disputed 2007 presidential elections.

African Union that has in the past two years been critical of Moreno-Ocampo since he slapped a warrant of arrest on Sudanese President Omar Hassan el Bashir, are pushing for a revision of Article 15 of the Rome Statute that bestows unlimited powers on the chief prosecutor to pursue leaders accused of genocide and crimes against humanity.

The anti-Moreno Ocampo campaign is being spearheaded by Sudan, which has rallied support from among others Kenya, Libya, Ethiopia, Somalia, Eritrea, Uganda, South Africa, DR Congo, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Sierra Leone, Liberia Mozambique and Chad.

In Europe, former USSR and Czechoslovakia satellite states are rallying behind the lobby group.

Apart from the African World Media (AWM), a leading British lobby group, and American-based Witness Africa, are some of the organisations lining up to tell Ocampo to "give Kenya breathing space".

Further, the group has drafted a petition it hopes to present to the UN Security Council on Wednesday to press for the deferment of the ICC investigations pending the conclusion of Agenda Item IV of the National Peace Accord signed under international pressure by President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga that ended post-election chaos in 2008.

Moreno-Ocampo arrives at a time when the referendum debate has elicited strong reactions from the ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ camps, stoking fears of ethnic and political polarisation reminiscent of post-2007 General Election.

The leader of the group that convenes under the aegis AWM, Dr David Nyekorach-Matsanga, says ICC investigations of crimes against humanity carries with it a disruptive effect and has the potential to polarise the country further.

"We are wary of deadline politics in Africa. Crimes were committed in Kenya but this is not the time to engage in investigations that can rekindle the ethnic hostilities the resulted in post-election chaos. It is also important that the investigations be deferred pending the conclusion of constitutional, judicial, police and civil service reforms, which are on course," Dr Matsanga told The Standard on Saturday.

However, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights Vice-Chairman Hassan Omar says the push to scuttle the ICC activities in Kenya would be resisted.

"There is obviously panic in Government because it is dominated by key suspects. ICC operations will move in any direction, including the Executive. The attempt to criticise the ICC or reduce the mandate of chief prosecutor is myopic as it cannot deflate the wheels of justice as they are catching up with people who planned and committed the crimes," Omar, who will participate in ICC General Assembly meeting in Uganda, says.

This is not the first time that Matsanga wants Moreno-Ocampo tamed in the hunt for post-election suspects.

Perceived impunity

In February, a 12-page application was filed at the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber II seeking the nullification of the international court’s effort to rein in perceived impunity in Kenya.

More significantly, the application filed soon after that of two Americans — Prof Max Hilaire and William A Cohn — failed to convince the international court to scupper investigations.

In the application, Matsanga argued: "Flawed application of Article 15 of the Rome Statute of 1998 is likely to lead to flawed justice for both the victims and the alleged key perpetrators of the post-election violence of 2007-2008 as well as lead to a cataclysmic politico-socio falling out across the country, with a dire consequences for Kenya."

Moreno-Ocampo’s five-day visit to Kenya has apparently rekindled fears that the hunt for bearers of the greatest responsibility for alleged crimes against humanity would rope in the Executive, which a local commission of inquiry has blamed for occasioning post-election violence.

International Centre for Transitional Justice senior researcher and lawyer, Njonjo Mue, agrees the search for justice for post-election violence faces threats of being messed by politics.

But he says: "The victims of post-election violence have waited too long. The rules of procedure are such that the process cannot stall until the investigations are through. Ocampo is aware of this. The indictments can be open or sealed, so there should be no fear that investigations will affect constitutional reforms as ICC is not a political court," says Mue.

University of Nairobi political science lecturer, Adams Oloo, shares the sentiments. But he cautioned: "Although the timelines of the referendum and ICC investigations are far apart, key suspects could use them as an excuse to mess up the democratic process. Ideally Moreno-Ocampo’s investigations could influence the 2012 elections."

An ICC statement early in the week that Moreno-Ocampo’s investigations would, when necessary, be taken to the highest office on the land has intensified panic that had been on a lull since his departure in November.

The planned meeting is part of the pressure that is piling again from within and outside Kenya against ICC to frustrate the investigations pending the determination of Africa’s demand for the reduction of the chief prosecutor’s powers.

Agenda IV, an outcome of national reconciliation and peace talks, envisages constitutional, electoral and judicial reforms whose deadlines are defined by the timeframe provided in the National Accord.

Moreno-Ocampo touched off panic in the high echelons of the Government when he declared early in the week that his imminent investigations would not spare anybody irrespective of position in the Government.

Kenya: President Pushes for More Chinese Investment

Kenya: President Pushes for More Chinese Investment
From Daily Nation via AllAfrica, Sunday, 02 May 2010:

Shanghai — Kenyans can expect more involvement through funding and investment in development projects by China, with President Kibaki's visit to the country, where he invited the Chinese business people to invest in the country.

President Kibaki held talks with officials of China-Africa Development (CAD) Fund who paid him a courtesy call, on Sunday, during which the team, led by the chief executive officer, Mr Chi Jian Xin, informed him on its willingness to partner with private and public companies.

This would be in supporting projects that can be funded through the official bilateral framework between Kenya and China. Among the projects pointed out for consideration, High-grand Falls and Coal-powered electricity generation projects. Later, the President met with Pan Jilu, President of Hydro-China Guiyang Corporation.

The company, a Hydropower and wind power generation, transmission and distribution Company, has been involved in Nandi Multi-purpose Hydro Power project along the Yala River, Bubisa wind power generation project in Marsabit and Ewaso Nyiro South Multipurpose project.

President Kibaki also met and held discussions with Mr Zhang Ren Jun, Senior Vice President of ZTE Corporation. ZTE is a global Telecommunications, Equipment and Networks provider which has been engaged in Western Kenya and North Rift Fibre Optical Cabling extending to the Southern Sudan border.

President Kibaki encouraged the Chinesese business community to invest in Kenya, assuring them that the government is doing everything possible to guarantee a friendly environment. He directed the ministries of Finance, Regional Development and Energy to organise consultative meetings with companies interested in Kenya's development needs and work out modalities of implementing identified projects.

President Kibaki also opened the Kenya Stand in the African Pavilion and attended the official opening of the Expo 2010 Shanghai, China. He also held bilateral talks with the host, President Hu Jintao, during which agreements on funding of Vision 2030 flagship projects were reached.

Among the projects the two leaders agreed upon is the construction of the Lamu Port as well as new areas of development cooperation including health and education where more scholarships will be given for Kenyans to study in China. During the bilateral talks, President Hu Jintao announced the extension of a Sh1.2 billion grant towards Kenya's development projects.

Child soldiers & Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA)

Children who become soldiers
From the SID Forum
By Saskia Baas*
April 27, 2010:

Over the past few years, the use of children as soldiers in armed conflict has become a source of immense moral outrage among rights activists as well as the general public. In 2005, the UN Security Council officially condemned the use of child-soldiers by parties to armed conflict and organisations such as Unicef and Save the Children have launched big campaigns to raise awareness on the tragic fate of children who become soldiers during civil wars in Africa, Asia and South America. Horrendous stories have surfaced of children who were abducted, drugged and turned into killing machines during the bloody civil wars in Sierra Leone and the Ivory Coast. These stories form a legitimate ground for wide condemnation, indeed.

However, although the “child-soldier” is often depicted as a helpless victim of the evildoings of other (adult) actors, this is a simplification that does not do justice to the complex reality of a civil war. During the civil war in South Sudan (1983-2005) the recruitment of children under the age of eighteen was common practice in the largest rebel movement: the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA). The stories of these children – many of whom are by now adults and youngsters – challenge the image of childsoldiers as helpless victims, with no choice or opinion of their own.

Meet Tricia, who joined the SPLA when she was ten years old. When the government army had killed her father, she decided she wanted to fight back: “I became angry. I walked to a town where the SPLA was stationed and I said to them that I want to be a soldier. I took training for two years. I was still small and I was struggling even to carry the gun.” After she completed her training, the army leadership decided she was too young to fight and sent her to a refugee camp in Kenya to go to school. But after a year, she walked back to Sudan to join the army again: “My heart didn’t want to stay in the school. I wanted to fight. Every day in the school, my mind was thinking about going back to the army. This was because of what happened to my father. I was still angry.”

Another soldier, Moses, joined the rebels’ side when he was twelve years old. His home area became very insecure as a result of the war. He explains that he joined the rebels after an attack on his village by the enemy: “When the enemy came, they were killing people and taking the women and cows. They put fire in the house. My father was killed and three men in my sister’s house. I was afraid, I ran away. In the forest, I found soldiers and I joined them.” Although the life of a soldier exposes children to extremely threatening circumstances, it is often overlooked that they were facing the same, or even worse threats in their home communities. Civil war creates extreme insecurities, and becoming a soldier can be a form of seeking relative protection.

Yet, life for children in the army was also harsh and dangerous. There was seldom enough food, and many soldiers died of hunger, malaria or diarrhoea. On the frontlines, soldiers saw their friends die in front of them and many got injured. Simon tells us how he got injured: “When I was sixteen, I got shot in my leg. It had to be amputated and I now use an artificial leg. After that, I could not go back to battle. I stayed in the liberated areas, but still in uniform.” Philip also got injured when he was sixteen “When we started to fight, I felt bad about it. The war made everything worse. People died, got hurt and fled. I got injured in my leg. I had to go to the hospital far from the battles. I had to stay behind in the barracks since then.”

In the SPLA, it was not common for young children to be sent to the frontlines to fight, although there were exceptions to that rule. Many children who wanted to become soldiers were turned down altogether and sent to refugee camps, like what happened to Tricia. Generally, children who were taken into the army were given lighter tasks in the barracks. Yet, some young soldiers recalled how eager they were to go to the frontlines, like Jacob: “I was twelve when I joined the SPLA. I had to join the army, because I needed to protect myself. After the training, I was feeling strong. But the commanders thought I was still too young to fight, so I had to stay in the barracks with them. When I was thirteen, I didn’t want to wait anymore, and they let me go to battle. They saw I was ready for it.”

When possible, the SPLA organised classes for its soldiers in the barracks, mainly during ceasefires. Children were also sent to refugee camps or to safe areas for periods of time to attend school. Daniel explains how he was selected for education: “I joined the SPLA when I was fourteen years old. Then, our commander came to the barracks and they said to me “you are still young, you go to school”. Twenty were selected like that. I went to Kenya and finished my primary and secondary school there.” While life in the ranks of the army was extremely challenging for children, the life they had left behind was often not much better. Those who remained civilians throughout the war were subjected to attacks by the army, disease and famine. In 2005, the SPLA signed a peace agreement with the Sudanese government, putting an end to twenty years of a devastating civil war.

Directly after the peace, rights groups pressured the SPLA to release all soldiers who were then under the age of eighteen. Unicef committed itself to help them reintegrate into civilian life, and received funds to do so, but never managed to get projects going. None of the young soldiers ever received any form of support from Unicef. They had to depend on their families, like Daniel, who was sixteen when the peace was signed: “After the peace, I travelled to where my uncle lives. I was released from the army to go to school and I like it. I am in class 7 now. When I finish my education, I want to teach my people how to plant crops and how to take care of them. I don’t want a job in the army.”

Since the peace, the SPLA is an official army, and its remaining soldiers started receiving salaries. Tricia is now twenty-two years old and earning about $200 a month, which makes her more than well-off for Sudanese standards. She talks about her future: “I am now in the military intelligence. I also want to continue my education. I am going to ask for permission to go to school. But after I finish, I will come back to my job. I want to stay in the army. The army is my life.”

Jacob is now thirty years old, and stationed in South Sudan’s capital Juba where he is performing a civilian task. He hopes to find a way to continue his education, but this is difficult: “The problem is that I am too old for the regular schools here. I’ve been in the army for 16 years now. I am a soldier, and I feel that I have to be in the army. It is a job, somehow. All my experience is in the army. I won’t match in any other place. I belong in the army.” He is also now receiving a salary and is saving up for the dowry, as he is planning to get married and start a family.

The image of a child-soldier as a helpless victim who is abducted and forced, is based on only one part of reality and requires nuance. Although the image works well for those organisations seeking to raise funds for their projects, it does not provide room for children who became soldiers in an attempt to shape their destinies. Civil wars expose people to horrendous experiences and make children specifically vulnerable. Under these threatening circumstances, becoming a fighter may be a perfectly rational way to seek protection, even for children. However, that should not diminish our moral outrage. If anything, it should redirect our indignation towards states and leaders who instigate these wars, and those who look away and fail to act.

*Saskia Baas is a PhD candidate at the University of Amsterdam, completing a dissertation on armed opposition movements in Sudan and has done extensive field work in Sudan in 2008 – 2009, interviewing around 80 rebels. Names in the article are not the respondents’ real names.

Related article on the SID forum: Forgotten… by Jan Pronk

INTERVIEW: ICC's Ocampo prepares for Kenya trip

Ocampo prepares for Kenya trip
From Capital News by Judie Kaberia, Thursday 29 April 2010:

THE HAGUE, Apr 29 - “Those who caused violence in 2007/2008 were aiming to have a seat in the Cabinet, but they have to understand if you commit violence you have a seat in jail! says International Criminal Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo.

In this exclusive interview with Capital News, Mr Ocampo affirms his commitment to pursue the perpetrators and also shares his thoughts about international justice and the importance of cooperation by member States.

“The weakest people are the victims, the women and the children,” said the prosecutor.

The man, widely perceived in Kenya as the deliverer of justice explains what motivates his stressful and risky job which entails dealing with powerful individuals.

Q. Tell us about Luis Moreno-Ocampo

A. I am the Prosecutor of the ICC. My work is to investigate massive crimes when the nationals are not doing that. Particularly people in the slums… sometimes they are ignored and I would like to listen to them and they have to listen to me too because I have to represent them in court. Sometimes they are victims of this type of crimes. Even as a global prosecutor I would like to work for them.

When someone is protected by someone else, I should not interfere. In Colombia there are national prosecutors doing the job so I don’t need to intervene, so I intervene when the people are not presented, (when) no one is taking care of their interests. That is why I like this job. I have to go normally to people who are ignored, very poor, marginalised and then. Yes! We go and work for them.

Q. Is it that Kenya doesn’t have a strong judicial system to prosecute the crimes you are handling?

A. No, we are not making any judgment on the Kenyan judicial system. In fact one of the judges at the ICC is Kenyan. The problem is, there are no national proceedings in Kenya about the post election violence, and that is the issue. When there are no cases, we do a case.

Normally the States organise themselves to have their own police, their own Judiciary. But with these massive crimes they agreed to have this International Criminal Court, so when a country like Kenya joined the court, we are part of the Kenyan justice system. We are the independent part of Kenyan judicial system supported by Kenya, supported by other 110 member States. Then our job is to end impunity for the most serious crimes and that is what we are doing. What we expect from the state parties such as Kenya, is respect for the law and support.

Q. How will the ICC deal with powerful individuals who are suspects?

A. We will be looking at the crimes. I will prosecute the most responsible because really we are a court where we focus on the most responsible. We cannot investigate many people here.

At the same time we respect the accused rights. In Kenya some people are suspects but we will see if they are guilty or not, so as a prosecutor I have to be impartial.

It is my duty to investigate - incriminating but also exonerating to seek for justice. We are willing to meet and receive those considered to be suspects and listen to them and what they have to say.

Q. Is the ICC also concerned with the process of Truth Justice and Reconciliation in countries under its investigation?

A. Yes! We would like to work with others like truth and justice commissions and local leaders among others. This is important as the common goal is to be sure that the next election in 2012 is peaceful.

We are more than happy to work with whoever is working with this goal and in fact I m going to Kenya in May and I would like to meet the local leaders, people in the slums, discussing how we can help them. I came from Argentina when there were serious crimes. The way to reconcile is to establish the law because if someone raped my daughter no one can force me to reconcile with this person, in this case the rapist. However, according to a legal system, I cannot kill the rapist, so that is why the justice effort could help to reconcile the people.

Q. You seem to believe that reconciliation processes are important. Explain this further.

A. We need to organise a system to live together not just in Kenya but in the world. The issue is to live together. I remember I met with President Museveni in Uganda because he invited President Bashir and he explained to me that Bashir is his tribe, you cannot understand and I said, I love the tribal idea. In fact you and I are in the same tribe, we are the ICC tribe, a bigger tribe.

Because you are the Bashir tribe, invite him to Uganda, then arrest him. For me whatever we are building is a global tribe. The basic idea is no more massive killing… we are united for this but this is a very important tribe.

Q. Sudan’s President Omar al Bashir has been indicted, yet he hasn’t been arrested. Do you think Kenyan suspects will be arrested?

A. The problem is al Bashir is using the army and the police and the State operatives to commit crime. Here in Kenya, the government is not committing crime; the government is trying to control crime.

So I think the Kenya State will help to arrest the people. But there is always a chance and we are evaluating every moment that the accused appear voluntarily and we don’t have to arrest them.

In each country we request territorial States to arrest individuals. That is what we are requesting Sudan to arrest Al Bashir and he has a responsibility to appear voluntarily in court.

Q. When you last visited Kenya in November 2009, PEV victims were not happy that you didn’t meet with them. Why did you choose not to?

A. I had my limits because I could not meet with the victims before the judges authorised my investigations. That is why I said I will come to Kenya as soon as the judges authorise my investigations to meet the victims.

The President and the Prime Minister are in charge of Kenya, so I had to inform them what I had come to do. I had to inform them that I would open investigations requesting the judges’ authorisation. Now it is my time to meet the victims. It will be the beginning. I will see how many places I can visit, but I will try to come back in September or October to be there again and meet more victims.

Q. What is your itinerary when you come to Kenya in May?

A. I will come to Kenya to listen to victims. I will ask what happened to you, how were you affected? I don’t want people thinking I’m coming to put you in jail. They have to understand my mandate, what I can do and what I cannot do. I will fulfill my role. I will do what I am promising to do. I would like to tell the Kenyan people to keep reporting justice and justice will come to them.

Q. Israel and the US are not signatories to the ICC Treaty. Why should Kenya be a member and what do you mean that Kenya will be an example to the world, is it a threat?

A. Kenya accepted the idea as many as 29 other African countries, as Europe, as South America. We suffered crime during the pre-colonial time, we suffered crimes during the cold war, and that is why we learn the law is important to protect us. It is showing the sophistication of Kenya to accept and join the treaty and the others will learn.

They feel they can be protected by armies, and we are thinking no! We can be protected by law. That is why we are saying Kenya will be an example to show that. It will be an example of how we can use the law to do justice for the victims and to prevent violence in the future, it is the example we are giving together; the Kenyan people, the Kenyan authorities and the court working together.

Q. Kenyans have a high level of trust and expectations in you. Should they?

A. Oh, I (hope) they continue to trust me. I would like to see them, to be connected to them who are the poorest. I will do a couple of cases. It will not be the end of the story but the beginning of the story. I believe this will help a lot to understand that there will be no more violence.

Read more: http://www.capitalfm.co.ke/news/Kenyanews/Ocampo-prepares-for-Kenya-trip-8269.html#ixzz0mTagp95U
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives

EU calls on Kenya to continue their consideration of locally-based judicial mechanisms to complement the ICC investigation

Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the decision by the Pre-Trial Chamber of the International Criminal Court to investigate the 2007-2008 post-election violence in Kenya

BRUSSELS, Kingdom of Belgium, April 14, 2010/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The EU takes note of the ICC’s decision to investigate the post-election violence in Kenya.

The EU recalls the Government’s public commitments made on several instances to cooperate with the ICC. The EU is a staunch supporter of the ICC as a valuable instrument of the international community to combat impunity for the most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a whole.

The EU calls on Kenya to continue their consideration of locally-based judicial mechanisms to complement the ICC investigation.

In this context, the EU also underlines the importance of an effective and credible national witness protection programme.

SOURCE: European Council

ICC judges grant the Prosecutor’s request to launch an investigation on crimes against humanity with regard to the situation in Kenya

ICC judges grant the Prosecutor’s request to launch an investigation on crimes against humanity with regard to the situation in Kenya
Source: International Criminal Court (ICC) THE HAGUE, Netherland
March 31, 2010/APO
ICC-CPI-20100331-PR512
Situation: Kenya

On 31 March 2010, Pre-Trial Chamber II, by majority, granted the Prosecutor’s request to commence an investigation on crimes against humanity allegedly committed in the Republic of Kenya.

In the decision, the majority finds that upon examination of the available information, bearing in mind the nature of the proceedings under article 15 of the Statute, the low threshold applicable at this stage, as well as the object and purpose of this decision, the information available provides a reasonable basis to believe that crimes against humanity have been committed on Kenyan territory. The majority moreover found that all criteria for the exercise of the Court’s jurisdiction were satisfied, to the standard of proof applicable at this stage.

The majority therefore granted the Prosecutor’s request, and allowed him to commence an investigation covering alleged crimes against humanity committed during the events that took place between 1 June 2005 (i.e., the date of the Statute’s entry into force for the Republic of Kenya) and 26 November 2009 (i.e., the date of the filing of the Prosecutor’s Request).

In his dissenting opinion, Judge Hans-Peter Kaul held that the crimes committed in the Republic of Kenya do not qualify as crimes against humanity under the jurisdictional ambit of the Statute. In particular, Judge Kaul disagreed with the majority on the requirements of a “State or organizational policy” as set out in Article 7(2)(a) of the Statute. Given the fact that the fundamental rationale of crimes against humanity as codified in Article 7 of the Statute was to protect the international community against the extremely grave threat emanating from such policies, Judge Kaul concluded that it had to be adopted either by a State or at the policy-making level of a State-like organization. Upon analysis of the supporting material, Judge Kaul concluded that there was no reasonable basis to believe that the crimes committed on the territory of the Republic of Kenya in relation to the post-election violence of 2007-2008 were committed in an attack against a civilian population pursuant to or in furtherance of a policy stemming from a State or an organization. Hence, Judge Hans-Peter Kaul felt unable to authorize the commencement of an investigation in the Republic of Kenya.

Background information

The Republic of Kenya ratified the Rome Statute on 15 March, 2005 becoming a State Party on 1st June 2005. According to the Rome Statute, the Court may exercise its jurisdiction in situations where the alleged perpetrator is a national of a State Party or where the crime was committed in the territory of a State Party.

On 6 November 2009, the Presidency of the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a decision assigning the situation in the Republic of Kenya to Pre-Trial Chamber II composed of Judges Ekaterina Trendafilova, Hans-Peter Kaul and Cuno Tarfusser. If the Prosecutor intends to commence an investigation proprio motu in the Kenyan situation, he must first obtain authorisation from this Chamber. That is what the Prosecutor sought for on 26 November 2009 filing his request together with 39 appended annexes in approximately 1,500 pages.

Decision Pursuant to Article 15 of the Rome Statute on the Authorization of an Investigation into the Situation in the Republic of Kenya

Questions and Answers

SOURCE
International Criminal Court (ICC)

[end]

The Masai and the MacBook Pro

Source: White African Erik Hersman 14 March 2010
twitter.com/whiteafrican/statuses/10479025411

Credit: www.flickr.com/photos/uccvisitslewa/3378142961/in/photost...

UK gov't job vacancy: A2 Statistics Adviser based within World Bank Nairobi Country Office, Kenya

Seen on twitter:

RT with correct link #DFIDjobs New vacancy: Statistics Adviser, Kenya. Apply now: http://ow.ly/12ExI Closing date: 27 Feb
6:29 AM Feb 5th from HootSuite
dfid_uk

Based within the World Bank Nairobi Country Office, you will support the KNBS reform process, the design/implementation of the next KNBS strategic plan, and lead the sector's donor co-ordination. The closing date for applications is 27 February 2010. LAST UPDATED: 28 JAN 2010. Click here for specific vacancy information [PDF - 88 KB] and apply online.

Kenya - Land disputes at the root of African wars

Land disputes at the root of African wars

A selection of the African continent's fights over land that have turned into violent, conflict, or threaten to.

From The Christian Science Monitor
By Jina Moore Correspondent, 30 January 2010

Land battles that sparked African conflicts

Western Sudan (Darfur) In the 1970s, the government eliminated the country's native administration – a quasi-government and colonial holdover of traditional elders – and rejected traditional land rights, depriving Darfur's pastoralists of access to grazing lands. When famine exacerbated disputes about land in the 1980s, violence broke out. Land grievances were never resolved, and in 2003, a rebel movement made up in part of disenfranchised former landholders revolted against the Sudanese government, which retaliated by arming bands of camel herders known as janjaweed to repress the rebellion – and promising them hefty tracts of the land, emptied in the course of the violence the militia unleashed.

The Democratic Republic of Congo Often called Africa's most deadly conflict, violence in parts of the northeast started over grazing cows in1999, when Hema herders evicted Lendu farmers after purchasing their land. Eviction grievances led both tribes to pick up weapons. As violence spread, the value of other mineral-rich lands contributed to the chaos in which 5 million people have died.

Ethiopia and Eritrea A 1998 dispute over the dusty border town of Badme turned into all-out war, with 80,000 deaths in two years. The town became the flash point of an older argument over the border between the two countries. Both sides saw Badme as a symbol of their real economic concern: power over the port of Assab, the Red Sea trade gateway. Despite international court rulings, the countries consider the border dispute unresolved – and their presidents often rally support by threatening to resume the fight.

Kenya Many indigenous tribes lost rights to traditional lands when the British privatized land holdings. When Joseph Kenyatta, the first postcolonial president, sought land redistribution, he gave the most fertile to his Kikuyu tribe. In a later backlash, many Kikuyu were pushed off their pastures. This created ethnic land grievances that have inspired violence during Kenya's elections since the 1990s, most recently after President Mwai Kabaki, a Kikuyu, was accused of stuffing ballot boxes in 2007.

Rwanda The 1994 genocide may have been catalyzed as much by land scarcity as by ethnic tension. Africa's most densely populated country found itself nearly without enough land to make farmers trust that they and their children could support themselves. Though the slaughter of minority Tutsis was also ethnically motivated, land fears played no small part in the violence.

Zimbabwe Land grievances helped fuel the 12-year war that led to independence in 1979. But recent violence stems from land reform efforts. In the name of economic fairness, President Robert Mugabe seized white farms and turned them over to blacks, primarily government officials who knew little about farming. As a result, agricultural production plummeted, food became scarce, and inflation spiked. Mugabe held power in a 2008 election only with violent intimidation of Zimbabweans.

Combustible land disputes that could erupt in conflict

Burundi The past decade brought the return of more than a half-million refugees who'd fled violence that began with independence in 1963. Many found their homes occupied – and because laws give ownership to anyone who has peacefully occupied land for at least 30 years, many refugees lost their homes and livelihoods. Experts fear the grievance could spark renewed conflict.

South Africa At the 1994 transition to democracy, the government planned to redistribute 30 percent of white-owned farms to blacks within 20 years. Transfers are behind schedule, and more than half have failed. After an outbreak of racial violence last year, observers fear the status quo – with expectations so high, progress so slow, and livelihoods at stake – is combustible.

Southern Sudan The 2005 peace agreement that ended a 20-year fight for the south didn't resolve tensions between the nation's two land systems. Private property reform implemented in the north was rejected in the south, which continues to use traditional rules. Danger of a potential clash between parallel systems is amplified by what's at stake: The south is oil-rich.

Uganda After 20 years of violence in the north, peace is bringing people home – and disputes are erupting over who owns property. Eighty percent of Ugandans have property claims based on the traditional land system, but a generation of conflict has weakened the traditional authority, of elders to resolve disputes or enforce land rules. As the government steps in to fill the power vacuum, experts fear a backlash.

Zambia White farmers forced off land in neighboring countries, found fertile soils here, and were initially welcomed by the government (five years ago). The tone changed as some immigrant farmers agitated locals by putting down roots on traditional lands. New arrivals, especially those fleeing Zimbabwe, are closely scrutinized. Observers fear deepening tensions.

Related Stories

• In Africa, inheriting a field ... or a feud?
• Africa's continental divide: land disputes
• Rwandans: a reeducation in how to live together
• Blog: New ideas in fighting violence, finding forgiveness
• Africa After War: Paths to Forgiveness – Why Jeannette employs her family's killers

US suspends $7m Kenya aid over graft

From AFP - ‎26 January 2010:‎

(NAIROBI) — The United States has suspended a seven-million-dollar programme for Kenya's education ministry over a massive corruption scandal, Washington's ambassador Michael Ranneberger said Tuesday.

The move by Kenya's largest single aid partner came a month after Britain froze funding for the ministry of education over the disappearance of 1.3 million dollars.

"The United States government has suspended a planned five-year, seven-million-dollar capacity-building programme for the ministry of education that was scheduled to begin in 2010," Ranneberger said in a speech to the American Chamber of Commerce in Nairobi.

He added that the suspension would be effective "until there is a credible, independent audit and full accountability."

"Those culpable for the fraud should not merely be sacked; they should be prosecuted and put behind bars," Ranneberger said.

The ambassador generally expressed disappointment with pervasive graft in the country and the lack of accountability over the deadly violence that erupted following the disputed December 2007 polls.

"There is no more glaring example that impunity is alive and well in Kenya than the fact that two years after the events there has been no accountability for the over 1,000 lives lost and 350,000 people displaced," Ranneberger said.

"Those who organised, financed, and perpetrated the violence must be brought to justice, preferably through a local tribunal, but through international investigation and prosecution in the absence of a credible local tribunal."

The governing coalition formed in 2008 with the election's rival camps has been criticised at home and abroad for stalling key reforms recommended by internationally-backed post-violence commissions.

US suspends Kenya school funding

BBC News - ‎Jan 26, 2010‎

The US has suspended $7m of funding for free primary schools in Kenya until fraud allegations are investigated, the US ambassador in Nairobi has said. ...

Kenya Corruption Scandal Triggers Halt to US Education Funds Voice of America

US: Kenya travel advisory to stay Daily Nation

CNN International - Washington Post

all 138 news articles »

National Survey Shows Kenyan Internet Market Heading Towards 'Critical Mass'

National Survey Shows Kenyan Internet Market Heading Towards 'Critical Mass'
From Angola Press, Saturday, 30 January 2010:

(London) - The latest national survey from market research company Synovate shows Kenya's Internet market is growing fast and on the basis of this growth will soon reach "critical mass". The growth in users is coming from both urban and rural areas and is predominantly amongst the young and well educated.

The total sample for this random survey was 1,500 people, with 500 of those in a boost sample from across the major districts of Kenya. Therefore the coverage is nationally representative of adults 15 and above and has a sampling margin of error of + or - 3%. It makes comparisons with a similar survey it carried out in 2007.

On the basis of this sample, Synovate estimates that there are now 3.5 million Internet users in Kenya. However, daily Internet use has grown from 2% of the respondents in 2007 to 5% in 2009 and weekly use from 5% to 12% over the same period. The daily use figure is
the crucial one as it shows users who are finding that that they cannot do without Internet services.

If the weekly Internet use is broken down on an urban vs rural basis, urban use grew from 22% of respondents in 2007 to 30% in 2009. Rural use grew from 4% to 9% over the same period. These results confirm a lot of anecdotal evidence that has been reaching us about young people using the Government's new Internet centres and cyber cafes in rural areas.

The lower income groups recorded a much more fast paced growth in internet access.

However Internet penetration within middle class and below is still very low, making it the group with the highest growth potential. And following the expected drop in Internet costs LSM 4-10s should provide the highest growth in usage. At least half the non-users across all social categories said they would be interested in using the Internet if they had access.

In terms of age, 50% of the respondents using Internet were aged 15-34 with 21% in the 18-24 age bracket. The upcoming generation of Kenyans will be regular users of the Internet and it will form as much part of their lives as mobile phones. Over 56% of the Internet using respondents were college or University educated. Therefore those countries with better education levels in Africa will show markedly higher Internet penetration levels.

Pass this on: Missing Persons Registry - Haitian Earthquake January 2010

Copy of message today on Twitter from Ushahidi's Erik Hersman:

Pass this on. Missing persons registry for #haiti is http://www.haitianquake.com
about 4 hours ago from twhirl
ushahidi

Further reading

Patrick Meier's report at Ushahidi's blog, 13 January 2010: Our Efforts in Response to Haiti’s Earthquake - We’ve launched Haiti.Ushahidi.com

Ethan Zuckerman's blog post at My Heart's in Accra, 13 January 2010: Following the Haitian earthquake online

China pledges $7m (£4.4m) for Kenya infrastructure

Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi says it is important to build up Africa's infrastructure. In November, China's government said it would offer Africa $10bn (£6.3bn) in concessional loans over the next three years.

China pledges funds for Kenya infrastructure
From BBC News 08:13 GMT, Thursday, 7 January 2010:

China says it will give a $7m (£4.4m) grant to help fund infrastructure development projects in Kenya.

The announcement came at the start of the Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi's latest Africa tour.

His schedule includes visits to Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Algeria, Morocco and Saudi Arabia.

Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki said China has offered to help develop a second port at Lamu which will be connected to Ethiopia, Southern Sudan and Rwanda.

Correspondents said this would provide a route to export Chinese oil from Southern Sudan.

China will also help upgrade a railroad linking Kenya's Mombasa port and the Ugandan capital, said a statement from President Mwai Kibaki's office.

"For Africa to further take off, it is very important to build up the infrastructure so that African countries can conduct intra-regional trade on a massive scale," Mr Yang told reporters.

In November, China's government said it would offer Africa $10bn (£6.3bn) in concessional loans over the next three years.