Metro

Latest al-Shabab killings stir demand for withdrawal of Kenyan troops from Somalia

Published

1 year ago

March 22, 2022

Latest attacks of deadly terrorist group, al-Shabab on Kenyan soldiers in Kilgoris, south-western Kenya has stirred the demands of withdrawal of Kenya troops from Somalia by Kenyans.

The attack, which killed 35 year-old Kenyan soldier, Mr. Johnson ole Kiyaipi, and nine of his associates have left families of the deceased frustrated as there has been no official statement on the attack.

“How many other young men are we going to lose before our boys are brought back home? How many more families should bear the pain of this war fought in distant lands?” asked Johnson’s elder brother, Dr Joel ole Kiyiapi.

“If our boys should die, they should die protecting our country within our borders.”

In January, the U.S. military says its troop withdrawal from Somalia is complete, in one of the last actions of President Donald Trump’s presidency.

Report from Kenya says “family members of soldiers are angry about the government’s silence when Kenyan troops die in action. They say the blackout and lack of public honouring is disrespectful. The authorities have not explained why they keep quiet about military deaths.”

Wife of one of the slain soldiers, who could not hold back her tears while her scribbled tribute for the late husband was read out by a friend: “Your children and I will miss you and your lovely smile. Shine on your way my love,” the speech read.

Another relative of the deceased, Prof. Kiyaipi said he was surprised there was no debate amongst lawmakers or the public about the goal of Kenyan forces in Somalia.

“We need to rethink our strategy and have a clear end-date for our troops there. It cannot be an indefinite mission and we sure can’t afford to keep losing our young men in this war,” he told newsmen.

“Every fallen soldier is a father, a son, a daughter. The president needs to publicly acknowledge our heroes,” he continued.

“We are the taxpayers and the government has a responsibility of being open,” he said.

Kenyan troops have suffered many attacks from the deadly al-Shabab. In 2021, a massive bomb attack in Lamu County near the Somali border targeting a Kenyan military convoy killed fifteen soldiers. There have been several other attacks that have left hundreds of soldiers dead with al-Shabab claiming responsibility.

Kenya Defence Forces entered southern Somalia 2011 years ago under a special operation called The Operation Linda Nchi . The Kenyan government declared the operation completed in March 2012, but its forces then joined AMISOM in Somalia with Kenya forces still on ground.

Metro

Rwandan President, Kagame sacks over 200 military personnel in major shake-up

Published

17 hours ago

June 7, 2023

Akanimoh Etim

Rwandan President, Paul Kagame has sacked over 200 soldiers including top military brass and commanders from the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) in a massive shake-up.

The dismissed officers include the former Commander of the Reserve Forces, Maj. Gen. Aloys Muganga, and Brig. Gen. Francis Mutiganda, a former Head of External Security in the National Intelligence Services, as well as 14 senior officers.

The announcement of the sacking of the officers which was contained in a statement released by the RDF on Wednesday, did not give reason for the sackings, but the move come a day after the president reshuffled the top echelon of the country’s military, which saw the firing of the Defence Minister and an Army Chief.

The sacking of the soldiers has further heightened tension between Rwanda and neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo, with each side accusing the other of working with rebels to topple one another’s governments, according to reports in local media.

Metro

UN war crimes court declares Rwandan genocide suspect, Felicien Kabuga unfit to stand trial

Published

18 hours ago

June 7, 2023

Akanimoh Etim

An 88-year-old Rwandan genocide suspect, Felicien Kabuga has been declared unfit to stand trial by judges at a United Nations War Crimes Court in The Hague.

In a decision published by the court on Wednesday, the judges acknowledged that Kabuga was no longer able to actively participate in his trial, and rather proposed an alternative process that aims to resemble a trial but does not allow for a conviction instead of stopping the proceedings completely.

“The trial chamber finds Mr. Kabuga is no longer capable of meaningful participation in his trial,” the publication said.

“The International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, therefore, finds that Mr. Kabuga is not fit for trial and is very unlikely to regain fitness in the future.

“It is therefore agreed to adopt an alternative finding procedure that resembles a trial as closely as possible, but without the possibility of a conviction,” it added.

Kabuga who was arrested in Paris where he had been in hiding under a false identity for several years, was one of the most wanted suspects of the Rwandan genocide, and was charged at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda with genocide and crimes against humanity.

At his initial arraignment in September last year, the ICC heard that Kabuga was alleged to have been the main financier of the ethnic Hutu militias who slaughtered over 800,000 minority Tutsis as well as political opponents during the genocide in 1994.

According to the UN, Kabuga, a wealthy businessman from the Hutu ethnic group, had established and financed an infamous media outfit, Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines (RTLM), which was notorious for inciting violence and promoting the targeting and elimination of individuals from the Tutsi ethnic group who were referred to as “Cockroaches”.

Kabuga was arrested in Paris in 2020 after decades on the run and sent for trial in The Hague where he pleaded not guilty to charges of sponsoring the infamous Hutu radical radio station urging people to kill Tutsi “cockroaches”.

He also denied supplying machetes and supporting the murderous Interahamwe Hutu militia.