Eastleigh bus bombing in the context of the Kenyan invasion of Somalia
_____
".What does (Kenya) want to achieve from the incursion, knowing that the
Ethiopia invasion created Al-Shabaab, the opposite of what was expected? Who
can guarantee the invasion would not reinvigorate Somali nationalism hence
energising radicalism that might even engulf the Somali region in Kenya?"
Muuse Yuusuf
by Muuse Yuusuf
November 27, 2012
Mareeg.com-Somalis in Eastleigh in Nairobi are under siege by stone throwing
and machete wielding mobs angered by the recent bus bombing that has killed
many people and injured others. Some of the mobs have called themselves
"Kenyans" as though their Kenyan identity is in danger, labelling Somalis as
"terrorists" in their midst who are threatening their national security and
their way of life. Indeed, a sense of growing xenophobia against Somalis -
refugees or even Kenyan Somalis - has been reported.
On a personal level, having lived in Eastleigh in peaceful times in late
1980s and knowing how it was enough to be a Somali to be picked on by the
<
http://www.hiiraan.com/op4/2012/nov/26979/eastleigh_bus_bombing_in_the_cont
ext_of_the_kenyan_invasion_of_somalia.aspx> security services to extort
money from you, or to be robbed by machete wielding and gun-trotting Kenyan
gangs, I can only feel sorry for any Somali who lives in Nairobi right now.
Somalis must be feeling a sense of insecurity and helplessness during these
stressful times. My heart goes out to them, as it equally goes out to the
relatives and families of those killed in the bus bombing.
Although there was ongoing tension between Somalis and Kenyans in Eastleigh
caused by Kenyans resentful of Somalis'
<
http://www.hiiraan.com/op4/2012/nov/26979/eastleigh_bus_bombing_in_the_cont
ext_of_the_kenyan_invasion_of_somalia.aspx> business success, I cannot help
but to situate these disturbances in the context of the Kenyan invasion of
Somalia in 2011. It was not that long when I asked the above questions in my
article "Why the international community should not support the Kenyan
invasion of Somalia?" published in Hiiraan.com. These and other hard nosed
questions seem to be imposing themselves as recent developments have shown,
and no one knows the answer.
A year has elapsed since the Kenyan invasion of Somalia, and anyone who
examines the current situation on the ground can see three things becoming
obvious as days go by.
First, if the incursion was meant to protect Kenyan citizens and Kenya's
tourism industry from bombings and kidnappings by terrorists, it has failed
to do so. Leave aside the tourism resorts of Mombasa or Malindi, bombings
are becoming normal features in Nairobi as evidenced by the recent Eastleigh
bombing. A year ago, who would have imagined bombs would explode on a bus in
Nairobi, equating this beautiful metropolitan city to the war-torn Mogadishu
in terms of insecurity?
Second, if the military adventure was aimed at securing Kenya borders with
Somalia, insecurity along the Somali-Kenyan border is worsen than ever, as
remnants of Al-Shabaab and the Kenyan security forces hunt-down each other
alongside this porous border. A classic example is the killing of three
Kenyan soldiers by masked gunmen in a town that borders Somalia, where
Islamist militants are based. This has led to one of the worst crackdowns in
Garissa town in the Somali region in Kenya carried out not by the police but
by the military, which shows the gravity of the situation. Garissa, 350km
north-east of the capital Nairobi, has been reported to be a "ghost" town
where the military is entering schools and is shooting students. At least 8
people have been killed, and over 50 people injured since the
<
http://www.hiiraan.com/op4/2012/nov/26979/eastleigh_bus_bombing_in_the_cont
ext_of_the_kenyan_invasion_of_somalia.aspx> start of the crackdown. The
Kenyan Defence Minister, Mohammed Yusuf Haji, said he did not authorise the
army action. This might indicate that the situation is getting out of
control and some sections of Kenya's security apparatus are executing
military operations without the knowledge and the approval of senior
politicians.
Third, Somali nationalism/irredentism in the Somali region in Kenya, which
was caused by the annexation of the region to Kenya by Britain although
Somalis overwhelmingly voted to be united with their brethren in Somalia,
seems to have been awakened and invigorated. Some underground liberation
movements, such as the NFD liberation movement, have launched armed struggle
against Kenyan authorities. The revival of Somali nationalism in the region
is the most dangerous outcome of Kenya's ill planned, ill-thought and myopic
invasion of Somalia.
In conclusion, although the Kenyan forces have helped the Somali government
to remove Al-Shabaab from some regions in south-western regions of Somalia,
including the strategic port town of Kismayo, it seems thought the problem
has shifted to the Kenyan-Somali border and to the Somali region in Kenya
where insecurity has increased compared to the situation prior the invasion.
The fact of the matter is that the longer the Kenyan forces remain in
Somalia, the more likely they will be perceived as occupiers determined to
annex Kismayo to Kenya. It is very likely that this will create more Somali
nationalist movements determined to liberate Somali regions including the
Somali region in Kenya from the clutches of Kenya.
In short, Kenya, please come out of Somalia quickly before it is too late.
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Received on Tue Nov 27 2012 - 19:50:45 EST
