Writes Leo Odera Omolo
KENYA has scored doubles by winning the support of two key regional bodies for its military operations in Somalia to flush out the Islamist terrorist Al-Shabaab militants.
It secured the backing and approval if the Intergovernmental Agency on Development {IGAD}, a regional organization which groups Kenya, Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia, Southern Sudan, Djibouti and now the suspended Eritrea.
Nairobi has also won the support and approval of the five-nation member countries of the East African Community {EAC}. The community groups together Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi.
The EAC is schedule to hold its extraordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers and Heads of State Summit in Bujumbura Burundi next Wednesday and top on the agenda for discussion will feature he war in Somalia.
Already the EAC Secretary General Dr. Richard Sezibera from Rwanda has hinted the community support from Kenya. Individual member states have also expressed their support for Kenya, and most important of all being the neighboring Uganda and Burundi which have contributed close to 9,000 troops serving in the AU peacekeepers under the unified force called AMISOM.
An urgently convened summit of the regional presidents held in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa at the weekend unanimously endorsed Kenya’s military operation in Somalia code named “Operation Linda Nchi”.
The IGAD leaders pitched for regional solidarity and enhanced coordination between Kenya Defense Forces, AMISOM and TFG to defeat Al-Shabaab and restore stability I the Horn of Africa’s devastated country.
The regional leaders who in attendance at the Summit chaired by the Ethiopia Prime Minister Meles Zenawi were Presidents Mwai Kibaki of Kenya, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia, President Ismael Omar Gulled of Djibouti and President Shariff Sheikh Ahmed for Somalia.
In a final communiqué released to the media after the 19th extraordinary IGAD Summit, the regional leaders stressed the need for the organization and the African Union {AU}to galvanize international support for the onion g military operation. The Summit further called on the Transitional Government of Somalia and endorsement of national security to expedite the finalization and endorsement of national security and stability process.
The summit expressed concern that Kenya carried the heaviest refugee burden and called on the international community to develop modalities for burden sharing.
The Summit further urged humanitarian agencies to relocate to the secure parts of Somalia to stem the influx of refugee into the neighboring countries, and further called o the UN Security Council t revise its resolution 2020 extending for 12 months authorization for countries cooperating with TFG to use necessary means to combat piracy and armed robbery.
At the same time the Secretary General of the East African Community Dr Richard Sezibera in a statement issued in Bujumbura, Burundi where the Council of Ministers of the bloc are meting together with the members of the East African Legislative Assembly a head of the Summit slated for next Wednesday, said that the partner states f the EAC were clear on their support for Kenya’s military operation “Linda Inchi” meant t flush out the al-qaeda backed Al-Shabaab terrorists in Somalia.
“Somali will be to on the agenda of the Council of Ministers and Heads of State Summit slate for next Wednesday, will seek to provide a long lasting solution on the Somalia conflict.”.
On the possibility of the entry of Southern Sudan into the EAC, Dr Sezibera said the lingering state f insecurity in Africa’s youngest nation should be n obstacle.
He made these remarks on sideline of the 24th ordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers. He said Southern Sudan is just coming of conflict and there are residual problems with countries emerging from conflicts. ”We have Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi. EAC has lots of wisdom borne out of experience with which it can assist South Sudan become stable.”
On recent ban by Tanzania on maize exports to Kenya, the Secretary General said the issue had already been resolved. “Tanzania has lifted the ban on maize exports to Kenya while Kenya on its part is working to do the same.
“The East African Community Customs
In the battle front, Kenya has so far lost ten men with one missing in action an the Al-Shabaab appeared to have resorted not to challenge the mighty Kenya military forces on conventional war, but have resorted to urban guerrilla tactics which is similar to the fashion used by Vietnamese during the Indochina War of 1960s of hitting enemy target in strategic places behind the line. It has strike once in Garrisa Town near the Kenya Somali border when its agent attacked a police station killing one police man and escaped with his G3 rifle and by waylaying land mines on strategic roots aimed t Kenya’s military vehicles movements.
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