TERROR THREATS BY EXTREMIST ISLAMISTS IN SOMALI TO KENYA IS REAL AND A MATTER OF CONCERN FOR THE COUNTRY’S LEADERS.

News Analysis By Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City.

KENYA seemed to be the target of terrorists groups based in the neighboring Somalia following last week’s successful and colorful visit by the US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and team of top American government officials and businessmen.

During her visit of the continent, Mrs Clinton had raised concern on achievement of peace in Somalia . She held talks with President Sheikh Shariff Ahmed of the Federal Transitional Government of Somalia, and issued a stern warning to Eritrea , saying the US would take action against Asmara regime, which she accused of supporting Al-Shabab and other extremist islamists groups.

Eritrea issued an impromptu statement and vehemently denied the accusations.

The US warning came in the wake of a stern warning by the Al Shabab leader, Sheikh Dahir Aweya, who is said to have a link with Eritrea government. Clinton told Eritrea in no uncertain terms to desist from supporting forces opposed to the Federal Transitional Somali government. The groups include the Al-Shabab militia outfits.

Sheikha Aweya returned to Somalia last April after living in exile in Asmara, Eritrea. His Islamist movement is called Hizbu Islam, and is one of the most dreaded Islamist extremists groups opposed to the Somali Federal Transitional Government, and has strongly condemned the close ties between the seemingly unstable Somali government and the United States.

His statement at the weekend labeled the meeting between President Sheikha Shariff Ahmed and the US Secretary of State Mrs Clinton last week as “hostile action against the people of Somalia”.

“In the past the, US supported freedom fighters, but its recent policies have followed imperialism approach. Its strategy on Somalia is one based on adversary and chaos creation”, Sheikh Aweya was quoted as saying.

Sheikh Aweya indicated that the Somalia had hoped the US new Administration, with President Barrack Obama at helm would pursue policies different from its predecessor [headed by George W. Bush].

Hizbu Islam accused US of having supported Ethiopia in its intervention in Somalia during 2007 and 2008. It alleged that Ethiopia still maintains forces inside Somalia territory, with full support of the US, in the aftermath of the meeting President Shariff Ahmed had with the US Secretary of State of having negative impact on the people of Somalia..

Sheikha Aweya defiantly made it clear that his movement and the Al-Qaeda supported Al-Shabab and are totally committed to overthrow the moderate government that was formed in January 2007 when moderate Islamists and secular forced joined in the government of national unity.

But the neighboring Kenya, which has received thousands of refugees fleeing the war ravaged Somalia seems to be taking serious security precautions about the threat of possible attacks by extremist islamists groups in Somalia.

Such preparedness options could be gauged on harsh and hard-hitting statements made in Lusaka, Zambia last Monday by President Mwai Kibaki. He said his country will work with other countries in the Great Lakes Region to seek a lasting solution to conflict that have ravaged countries in the region.

“Despite the progress made towards resolving complaints in the region, stability in Somalia remained elusive as ever before”, Kibaki said.

The Kenyan leader, while addressing the third Ordinary Summit of the Intergovernmental Conference on the Great Lakes Region held in Lusaka on Monday said, “I take this opportunity to appeal to us all, and indeed to the international community, to assume greater responsibility in Somalia in order to ensure the emergency of a stable and democratic country in Somalia.”

Somalia has remained lawless following unresolved conflicts between Islamist extremists who want to overthrow the Federal Transitional Government of President Sheikh Shariff Ahmed.

President made the remarks when he addressed the regional summit in his capacity as the outgoing chairman. He later handed the chairmanship to President Rupia Banda of Zambia.

Kibaki’s sentiments came only a week after Kenya’s Vice President, Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka, held another crucial meeting in Nairobi with security chiefs from the Eastern African countries.

Musyoka told the meeting that the East African countries are concerned about the security of the region in the wake of increased activities of terrorist organizations in the Horns of Africa. He disclosed that Kenya and other neighbors are working on measures to keep their security agencies on alert to avoid such terror attacks.

The vice President made these remarks when he officially opened a meeting of the Council of Ministers of Defense and Security Chiefs of the East African region in Nairobi.

He, however, singled out Burundi and Uganda for a special praise for their contributions to the AU African Mission in Somalia [Peacekeeping forces}. He said East Africa should be on the look out to ensure security threats such as the 1998 twin bombing in Nairobi and Dar Es Salaam do not recur.

As the region marked eleven year anniversary of the 1998 bombings, the East African security chiefs said terrorism and internal armed conflicts remain the major draw backs to the region’s development.

Vp Kalonzo Musyoka said, ”Recurrent wars and conflicts in many parts of Africa have become the major stumbling blocks to the economic advancement in the African continent. The likelihood of most African countries attaining the UN millennium Development goals by 2015 remain a pipe dream in the absence of enduring and sustainable atmosphere of peace and security”.

He said the challenge of ensuring peace is a major concern not only in East Africa region alone, but also to the entire African continent.”There is a growing concern the persistent and emerging armed conflicts have brought Africans untold suffering”, he added.

The Vice President called on African leaders to come out forcefully in the fight against lawlessness and terrorism. In the past, he said, Africa has relied heavily on the international community to intervene into conflict resolution missions, but there is now a shift that demands that the continent should find a home-grown solution to its endless problems.

Ends
leooderaomolo@yahoo.com

– – –
From: Leo Odera Omolo
Date: Wed, Aug 12, 2009 at 6:58 AM
Subject: TERROR THREATS TO KENYA BY EXTREMIST ISLAMISTS IN SOMALI TO KENYA IS REAL