By Mohamed A. Hussein
The Kenyan government has authorized its forces to take any action necessary to bring down those behind the latest terrorist attacks in Mombasa and Eastleigh. As a result of this at least 4,000 Somalis were arrested of whom 82 were deported back to Mogadishu, Somalia and many more are expected to follow.
As far as the media outlets are concerned, different versions is held by both Kenyan and Somalis as to why Kenyan government is executing this crackdown. Kenyan government claimed that the reason for the crackdown is merely to fight against those who are behind the recent terror attacks in Kenya and those who are suspected to be sympathizer of the terrorists and are in the country illegally. However, Somali politicians in Kenya and affected civilians in Eastleigh are narrating different versions. Most of the Somali MPs who spoke in one Eastleigh meeting said that the Kenyan government’s crackdown is solely designed to harass people of Somali origin and this is not the first time that Kenyan police subjected to harsh treatment to innocent civilian in the name of fighting terrorism, referencing from the events in the ‘80s. The Kenyan Somali politicians urged the government to cease its inhumane actions against innocent Somalis immediately.
Even though Somalis in Eastleigh agreed that this is not the first time they were being harassed while Kenyan police was in pursuit of individual terrorists thought to be hiding in the area of Eastleigh, they believe that this is more than a fight against terrorism. They stated that if this is a fight against terrorists, then why do the Kenyan police are asking for bribe money from anyone apprehended before being released?.
Also reported are incidents that took place in Eastleigh and elsewhere where Somalis claimed that their houses were searched for multiple times within 12 hours, and each time the Kenyan police ended their search as soon as they collected money. In another incident, it was even reported in Eastleigh where Kenyan police refused to leave after being shown genuine Kenyan birth certificates and other IDs. The police would never leave without collecting bribes.
As WardheerNews stated in its recent editorial, Somalis in Eastleigh are transformed into cash cow – an Automated Teller Machines, where individuals who have cash deposits in the bank can retrieve money needed to bribe for their release . Anyone who lived in Eastleigh knows that in order not to be bothered by Kenyan police, it is easier for them to carry fifty dollars instead of any other legal documents issued by Kenyan authority since all Kenyan police is concerned is how much money he or she would take home at the end of the operation. It is also widely known even among Kenyans, that whoever is assigned to be a police officer in charge of the area of Eastleigh, becomes an instant millionaire within a few years.
The question here is that, despite all these different versions of why Kenyans are targeting ethnic Somalis, even if it is solely to fight against terrorists, is the Kenyan government on the right course? Considering the Kenyan police action, the answer to that question is a plain ‘no’.
Human rights watch said that the Kenyan police is violating international law by arbitrarily arresting and deporting anyone viewed to be Somali without allowing an opportunity to apply asylum since Somalia especially in Mogadishu where the first 82 people were deported to is not safe.
Opposition leaders in Kenya accused the current administration of dividing Kenyans by attacking only one ethnic group, in this case Somalis when it is widely known terrorism is an international phenomenon and they warned this action may backfire in the near future.
Anyone who has viewed the current reporting of how Kenyan police rounding up anyone who resembles Somalis would know this is not a fight against terrorism. It has been seen in media where mothers with children as young as few months were hauled inside military trucks and transported to Kasarani Stadium, a football stadium that lacks no water and other necessities for human survival.
The other question is, if this is a fight against terrorists, then why is it that anyone who is of Somali origin regardless of whether one is an elderly person, a pregnant mother and or cuddling babies is indefinitely held as suspects? These are the questions among others being raised by Somali MPs in Kenya.
However, Somalis everywhere not only expected leaders in Kenya to raise those questions and more, but they also expect the current leaders in Somalia to stand by those innocent Somalis who are being harassed and to speak against this unfair treatment. Instead, Somali leaders have turned blind eyes over the whole incident.
Somali president, Hassan Sheikh Mohamed was reported to have been in Kenya when the crackdown started. While Somalis expected from him to speak against this action; instead, he was seen taking photo opportunity with Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta. As of today, he did not mention any word regarding mistreatment suffered by Somali people under Kenyan police in the name of fighting against terrorists, other than saying as reported that terrorism is a threat to both Kenya and Somalia.
The prime minister, Abdiwali Sheikh Ahmed, who is supposedly be running the government affairs seems to be occupied touring southern Somali, as he is the governor of the southern state, in midst of this disaster and humiliation suffered by Somali people in Kenya and up to now he did not utter any word regarding this issue. He left this important task to the Somali ambassador in Nairobi. The good prime minster probably thinks the Somali ambassador; Mohamed Ali Nur alone can handle the crackdown issue. In a recent press statement, Mr. Ali America is reported to have supported the Kenya government’s mishandling and mistreatment of Somali refugees. This is the man the Somali people expect to represent them in Kenya. Astonishingly, Mr. Mohamed Ali Nur, in a picture that attracted global media attention and circulated a few days ago, was seen standing in front of Somalis being harassed by Kenyan police.
If these are the leaders that the Somali people expected to stand by in time of need, then what is next? The only option left is the Somali parliament to pressure the Somali and Kenya governments to take concerted efforts to bring the mistreatment of the Somali people to a halt. Somali people everywhere should support Somalis in Kenyan by not accepting this kind of treatment. And finally one day Somali people will hold current Somali leaders accountable for their inaction against mistreatment of ethnic Somalis.
Mohamed A. Hussein.
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