As readers and followers of this blog may know, Kenya is very dear to my heart. First, I started this blog while in Kenya, reporting from Kenya and on the whole of East Africa. As a French-speaker, coming from France, I could only notice while there how much is written and thought through in English and very little in French about this complex and fascinating region of the world.
Then, for all the complex effects of the freelance journalist's hazards, I had to come back to Europe, to be based in Europe to earn a living, and started to go back regularly in the region and then to follow the evolution of its politics from Europe.
The recent developments, especially since the Westgate Attack in Nairobi in September 2013 make me realise how little knowledgeable Europeans remain about East Africa, and also how I was willing to go in Nairobi - and beyond - again.
Before I am able to do this, I want to share here some articles and analysis bringing more comprehension...
Here are a few links and quotes, obviously in English, that can help understand.
--
Why Kenya matters
Extract:
"2014 was a bad year for all three but Kenya faced the most complex range of challenges. Its political, ethnic and economic fault-lines were exacerbated by attacks by the Somalia-based Islamist extremist group al-Shabaab, a never-ending refugee crisis (the second largest in Africa) and an indictment of its President, Uhuru Kenyatta, by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity (the case was finally dropped in December after three years)".
(...)
"For most of its history since independence in 1963, Kenya was Africa for much of the outside world, at least the Africa it wanted to see: of preternatural landscapes and wildlife, of vibrant, liberal-minded people, of social harmony. Then came the disputed 2007 election. The widespread communal violence which erupted in its aftermath eviscerated the Kenya of our popular imagination".
(...)
"Kenya’s not now an oasis of political stability but nor has it ever been. The distribution of land and wealth has always been a source of tension amongst its myriad ethnic groups. Injustices suffered by one or another have been used as political fodder by the country’s powerful elite since independence. That isn’t unique in African politics. People just thought Kenya was different.
Kenya is different. It’s the economic powerhouse of East Africa, boasting the region’s strongest international trade and investment links, and serving as its transport, logistics, tourism, banking and services hub. Though millions of its citizens remain stuck in crushing poverty, Kenya jumped to ‘middle income’ status after the latest rebasing of its GDP. Its private sector, which has evolved under relatively market-friendly policies, is arguably the most dynamic in Africa and its economy is amongst the most diversified".
(...)
"Kenya is trying to deepen global understanding of that security context and the tough choices facing the government. I hope it succeeds. What happens in Kenya matters—and not just to Africa".
--
How to make sense of the #GarissaAttack in Kenya (you may want to switch off television news)
April 4, 2015
http://africasacountry.com/how-to-make-sense-of-the-garissaattack-in-kenya/
To make sense of the attack by Al Shabaab on Garissa University near Kenya’s border with Somalia (official count of fatalities are 148; others say closer to 200), you may want to switch off television news. Especially since CNN is moving Nairobi to Nigeria and Tanzania to Uganda. Crucial will be how these attacks will be framed in the next few hours and especially how the Kenyan state will respond (already they’ve blamed the judiciary and in the past they’ve round up Somalis despite little evidence). Equally important is public opinion. So, like we did at the time of the attack by Al Shabaab on the Westgate Mall in Kenya’s capital Nairobi, we’ve compiled a bunch of links, including some twitter accounts, we suggest you read or follow.
Poet Shailja Patel‘s “The Road to Garissa” on The New Inquiry.
Criminologist Mwenda Kailendia in The Guardian, “Kenya attacks: Brute force isn’t enough to beat the terrorists”
Karen Rothmeyer in The Nation: “Horrifying blowback in Kenya.”
Anthropologist Samar Al-Bulushi‘s “The Politics of Spectacular Violence”
Novelist Abdi Latif Ega’s “What’s it like to be Somali in Kenya”
International Relations scholar Stig Jarle Hansen,”Al-Shabaab is failing in Somalia, but Kenya’s chaotic response could keep it alive” on The Conversation.
Journalist Caroline Hellyer reporting for Al Jazeera English: “Recent ISIL communications show attempts to secure influence in East Africa – the stronghold of al-Shabab and al-Qaeda.”
Harry Misiko, “How Kenya made itself vulnerable to terror,” on the Washington Post’s WorldViews blog.
Maina Kiai in Kenya’s Daily Nation,”To eliminate insecurity, we must not be tempted to take unlawful decisions”
Political science graduate student Ken Opalo on his blog about “Five Things About Al-Shabaab and the Somalia Question.”
Samira Salwani, “Corruption and Terror: Somali Community in Kenya Caught in the Crossfire”
This documentary made 2 years ago by Al Jazeera reporter Mohammed Adow (you would recognize him his recent reporting on Nigeria’s general election) about Garissa, which also happens to be his hometown. The film, which is very personal, also gives a good history of state violence in Kenya’s North Eastern Province, where Garissa is located. The North Eastern Province is “the country’s third-largest region, borders Somalia and is exclusively inhabited by ethnic Somalis.”
--
On "The Road to Garissa":
http://thenewinquiry.com/essays/the-road-to-garissa/
1962
"Somali northeast votes to join Somalia: ”Kenyan-Somalis’ sore relations with the government of Kenya have a rich history. Carved out of Somalia by the British, the arid northern region was neglected by both colonial and post-colonial administrations. Born out of this history of marginalization, Kenyan-Somalis identify more with their ethnic group in Somalia than with the rest of Kenyans.
“In a 1962 referendum, residents voted overwhelmingly to join Somalia. But Kenya refused to accept the results, hampering Mogadishu’s plans to form “Greater Somalia” by annexing all Somali-populated areas in the region, including Djibouti and Ethiopia’s Ogaden state.” "
--
THE GARISSA MASSACRE SHOWS US IT IS TIME TO ABANDON THE WAR ON TERROR
http://digitaldjeli.com/2015/the-garissa-massacre-shows-us-all-it-is-time-to-abandon-the-war-on-terror/
"A continuation of the highly discredited, top-down, ‘War-on-Terror’ approach will only exacerbate these problems and needs to be replaced by a more nuanced, locally-based, non-sectarian understanding.
A new approach needs to reconstruct the relations of information production so that citizens are both protected and seen as allies and not the ‘bandits’ of the past.
In this framing of the story through the war-on-terror lens, instant experts, politicised government approaches to radicalisation and foreign and local media all collude to play the role of town crier. The war-on-terror is good for business and it boosts careers too.
The genie is half-way out of the bottle in Africa, a second, potentially marginalised generation is in the wings and only a radical change of approach now stands any chance of putting it back in any constructive form".
Feel free to share some more. Thanks for your attention.
No comments:
Post a Comment