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Kenya will not cut ties with Eritrea over Shabaab

Posted by on December 10, 2011

Kenya still open to dialogue with Eritrea /FILE

NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 10- Kenya has no intentions of severing ties with Eritrea over the suspicion of Eritrea funding the Al Shabaab, top government official has said.

Deputy Director at Foreign affairs division in charge of the Horn of Africa Lindsay Kipteness said that Kenya remains open for dialogue over the issue with their Eritrean counterparts.

He said that the sanctions by the UN Security Council on Eritrea vindicate Kenya’s position that the Eritrea has failed to de-link itself from activities of armed groups in Somalia.

Kipteness said: “The Kenyan government remains open to dialogue with Eritrea; we have not severed relations with Asmara. We still think that Eritrea is important in the stabilisation of Somalia as well as the peace of the region.”

He said that the Eritrea should however drop conditions for coming to meet the president instead to meet his foreign affairs equal

“They (Eritrea) sent a message saying that their foreign minister will come to Kenya on condition that he meets President Kibaki, but obviously that is not his level. We will wait for him to come and meet our Foreign Affair minister,” he emphasised.

The UN Security Council on Monday toughened sanctions against Eritrea which has been accused of plotting terrorist attacks and supporting Somali Islamist rebels.

A resolution, passed with 13 votes in favour, while Russia and China abstained, allows the council to increase the number of individuals and entities that can be hit with a travel ban and assets freeze.

Eritrea has been accused of supporting Al Shabaab Islamist militants in Somalia with finance and weapons. A UN sanctions monitoring group has linked the Asmara government to a bomb plot against an African Union summit in Addis Ababa in January.

The Security Council demanded that Eritrea “cease all direct or indirect efforts to destabilise states, including through financial, military, intelligence and non-military assistance.”

Kipteness further took issue with aid firm Oxfam which has insisted the operation in Somalia was hindering humanitarian efforts.

He urged aid agencies to look out for the long term objectives of the operation in Somalia.

The enemy in Somalia is the Al Shabaab that have even expelled 16 humanitarian agencies including agencies of the United Nations

On the military front the Kenya Defence Forces said that they are wining the war against the Al Shabaab in all the three sectors.

Colonel Cyrus Oguna of the Department of Defence said that the Al Shabaab has incurred more casualties and logistical loses since the operation began.

Oguna said that the Al Shabaab now want to change their name to Somalia Islamic Emirates so that they can win more support.

“Al Shabaab is completely confused, disorganised and in a desperate attempt to change its name so as to attract sympathisers; but under whatever name or brand they come we will continue to hit and destabilise them until their capacity is degraded,” said Oguna.

He said that the military has learnt that Al Shabaab casualties have filled hospitals in Kisimayu and medical facilities being operated by NGO’s in areas that the Al Shabaab still control.

On Monday forces did strike a foreign fighters camp near Afmadow destroying Al Shabaab personnel and vehicles. Naval forces also sunk a skiff with five occupants in the Indian Ocean.

Oguna warned civilians to keep of structures serving the Al Shabaab after a civilian was killed on Wednesday as the troops struck an armour dump near Bardere.

Col Oguna welcomed the endorsement by parliament for the KDF to re-hat to AMISOM mandate maintaining that in the event the UN Security Council approves the request, the KDF will still be proactive in protecting Kenya.

“As it is now the KDF TFG alliance is focused on its mission; in the vent that we join AMISOM we will be robust in peace enforcement, it will not weaken us. It will also not rob us off the right to self defense, when Kenya feels in secure we will go out and deal with that situation,” he emphasised.




Author: LORDRICK MAYABI
LORDRICK MAYABI has written 229 posts
Lordrick is a graduate of the University of Nairobi with a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism. He is passionate about political and governance issues. He also takes keen interest in human rights matters, justice and is fond of sports.

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  • Fenkel

    Eritrea is showing the way of real indipendet nation it doesn’t help the way African defaiend things for the last 60 years. How long have Africa gone forward to keep the intrest of it’s people.Eritrea is  a referance to all Africa. In the last 20 years it was abel to provaid to 90% of its population celan drinking water free education for all free halth care in evrey corner of the countrie fastest growing economy in africa this all hapend onley in the past 20 years.Follow Eritreas exampel.

  • Bulgaethiopian

    I am Ethiopian, we don’t expect much from Kenya, they are scaring for Alshabab terror bombs and counter attack in Somalia, so they were begging power for Ethiopia, and now begging from Eritrea. Damn, my fraid said well :The minister at the pick time were accusing Eritrea for arming alshabab, so what is happening right now niggaa??
    Ethiopia is a special country in the horn, no one and nothing can defeat this country, our identify and history is what we are right now, we don’t like to talk to much and we are what we are. We are s flag for blacks freedom, fighing for independent and agains from European colonizers, we are brave and patriotic people. We love our nebeoughrs, we love all African, we support Kenyata, Mugabi and Mandela during the fight for freedom.
    No one cares for Eritrea, no even talk about Eritrea in the country. We don’t care about parasitic moron slaves in the North, once they were our part and sucking our blood, now we have already desposed them at all.
    Look at the comments, all are Eritrean, because their artififical state’s economic and identity pillars are ‘LIE’ and “LIE’. Talking everywhere, here and there..bla bla……Once they had a dream to be Singapoor..thoug in reality they are Sing-a-poor.  So they keep talking talking…
    Belive me, you can see any news papers printed in the country, nobody gives shit for Eritrea, we have our own problems and economic miracles as well. We are working, Eritrean are talking, Kenyan are shaking ……blew………loosers.

  • Minilike

    Please Kenya make a decision, don’t swing left and right . What an idiot country is it? God bless Ethiopia, the only Christian country commited to vanish Islamic exterimists killing inocents and terrorising the horn. Do you know the first country to be written on bible is Ethiopia??? You don’t know because you have no decision , British may change the name to Skotland and You want to belive what British said….
    VIVA Ethiopia, Jesus is with you: Down to Islam Exterimist!!

    • Engineer Unix

      You call kenya idiot country yet u and your country men run here seeking asylum and trying to make a living off the idiot country? Tolerance is what makes kenya great, not quick to war like you.. Sorrounded by hostile neighbours yet we survive.. have u seen a single kenyan talkin ill of ethiopia/eritrea here… your animosity and anger towards eritrea makes u angry that kenya isnt following your bandwagon just yet. Is the forex trouble finished back home? are u able to get a decent meal in nairobi? do u wish to go back to addis? guess not!

      • Hadendewa

        Thanks for your well thought statement. As an Eritrean, I have not and never had ill wishes towards kenyans. In fact Eritreans are thankful to Kenya for providing refugee during their difficult times.
        However, many Eritreans are saddened by Kenya’s unsubstantiated allegation against Eritrea, accusing it of supplying Alshabab with ammunition. Come on!! our good name has been severely tarnished. Under such circumstances, how is it possible  that Kenya  expect a normalization of ties with Eritrea while, on the same breath, accusing it of supporting terrorism. As humans, we have feelings too and must demand explanation why Kenya chose to follow Ethiopia’s path and use Eritrea as a scapegoat for the misguide policy of Somalia

  • Merhabaj

    Bulgaethoipian{bulagbigger}you don,t daserve to be call an Ethiopian. Eritreans are prude to be African nation.The All Wide World new who Eritrean was, is will be “Eritrean only Kneel dawn to GOD ALL MIghty JESUS & ALLH”
    or when shoot the devile.we like  to work hard not to begge .how mony Ethiopians are they on street begging i think you are rejoicing on the Ethiopian hanger.shem on you to say this.

  • Ethiopian

    @Marhabaj:disqus , You moron slave, you smell like roaten eggs!  Half amillion of 4 million citizens of Eritrea are in Ethiopia. Shemelba alon receives 100 immigrants in each day. Are you still talking….? OMG, Eritrea doesn’t qualify as a state and the citizens don’t have even a real identityat all all.
    You are reall crazy, are you still supporting Isayas for what he did upon the Land Eritrea? It is real madness, he is ragging war against Ethiopia which claimed 100,000 Eritrean people and damage the economy. And now quarerring with Djibouti and Kenya. wtf is he? No constitution, no parlamentary and no well structure governemntal institutions and structures, just a group of gangs are still leading millions and have left their own citizens for suffer and punishing brutaly.
    Ethiopia has much better future, tomorrow is bright for Ethiopia in any aspects
    Wake up and say no to your illetrated leader Isayas!!

    • Tedros

      Well Ethiopian, you are just getting emotional and desperate. Eritrea is much much better and prosporous than your country Ethiopia, which is famine striken, poor , with millions of its population in Hunger, that is unlike Eritrea, which is the only country in east africa managed to feed itself and be famine free. That is amazing. eritrea have got a double digit ecinomic growth, with its booming mining industry, That is the reality, and that is why Ethiopia is trying to subbotage Eritrean development with sanctions with the help of the USA.Concerning the boarder war waged by Ethiopia against Eritrea, yes you are right 100,000 people died, but 80,000 of them were poor Ethiopians, and we clearly won the war militarly and on the ground as the disputed town of BADME was ruled to be an Eritrean territory. Interms of refugees, we got a lot of Ethiopian refugees on our side too, compared to a couple og thousand you guys have.So you better stop lying to your self, coz you are just day dreaming with your lies. Ethiopias priority should be feeding its hungry people, because the only thing Ethiopia is know is by FAMINE and HUNGER, unlike Eritrea which is more prosporous and brighter future. Refer the Human development Index (HDI) report of the United nations, which clearly shows that ERITREA far more developing than Ethiopia and exeeds Ehiopias capabilities on all feels, i.e, in Education, Health, life expectancy,Gross income per capita… etc.

      • Johannis

        Tedros, you are really funny guy, actually it is not new for the world. Ethiopia has a population of 80, million and at least we have been feeding 76 million people. last year only 4 milion people were startved. and the government was able to manage the crises by importing a 300 million birr worth food. Look, Eritrea has 4 million as its been said above, but in Sudan alone, there are thousands of refugees and in Ethiopia half a million, which means one fourth of the population are in Sudan and Kenya alone. Hopefully, you are also outside.
        Ethiopian fertile and plenty of lands can feed even the entire Africa, Eritrea is aride dry land and no water and huge rivers potential enough to be irrigated or for any hydropower dam in a sustainable manner.
        UN has reported the dailly Eritean citizens fleeding their land has doubled from the last years alone and already established another new refugees campus in the North. But i never heard of any refugee campus placed in Eritrea.

        Ethiopias economic miracle is not to be mentioned here, you can google everywhere on the internet. We were extrimely poor because of you parasite people were sucking the blood of Ethiopia. Now, we are free from you at  least from direct sucking of blood and Ethiopian are busy in building wind farms, establishing electric power transmission line, and building roads roads and rail ways. You can’t deny it.
        Eritrean 2 billion GDP is equivalent to one PLC in Addis Ababa, if you gow 10% for 50 years, it is unimaginable to reach a 80 billion economy which is the fourth largest in sub shara countries.

        Good lucky

        • Tedros

          Well do you mean the ‘aid Economy”. 80% of Ethiopian Buddget is donations of Aid from the west. Ethiopia is the second country after Egypt of highest aid receiver from the USA. So that means litarally Ethiopia does not have an economy. and what economy are you talking about, people are in a very long lines to get gas and other necessities from the government subsidised ‘shops’, everything is expensive in for the common Ethiopian this days, is this the Economy that u r talking about? you are dreaming my friend. Ethiopia is unable to feed its own people with all the aids. Ethiopia is the only uncoloniased country in Africa, it is shame that it is the poorest country, Eritrea is independent for only 20 years and has done what Ethiopia was unable to do in 200 years. What a shame. And do you really believ there are 500,000 Eritreans in Ethiopia. I think you are a moran, just tricking your self my making up a lie. You believe your lie, no one else will . you said Ethiopia have got 80 milion people and u said it managed to feed 76 m, you are lieing, the USA is feeding your population, but Eritreans are feeding its own people with out Aid, that is the fact my friend

          • Johannis

            Haaa……… everybody can read and see this, Eritrea is the 3rd in receing aid per GDP, and Ethiopia is 31st. THis is how you fool yourself.. What a shame…?
            http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/eco_aid_as_of_gdp-economy-aid-as-of-gdp
            I advice you to spedn your time by work than lieing and talking here and there and dreaming unrealitic nonexixsted identity and economy..blew
            Good bye!!!

  • Mulgeta

    you eritrean and ethiopian people are sick, until when are u going to compute for nothing. please dont reviel ur ignorance, learn not to take every thing personal, and learn how to talk to each other. insulting some one dosnt make one better rather little.   thank you….habesha.

  • Peace_no1

    The  kenyans accused Eritrea because of theire masterUSA and woyane Agame forced them I am surrprised What the kenyans said??Their relation with Eritrea will not cut. This is crazy.   What kind relation they  need ??
    At the sametime they accused us I do not understand.I wish  we Eritreans do not have eny relation with corrup and puppet government
    We are very proud of peaple What els happen we will defeat them.
    viktory to the peaple of Eritrea and our breave leader

  • Brianenjoy

    Wetangula is not Al Bashir’s equal, yet as Foreign Minister he met the President of Sudan. It is foolish to take that line of reasoning in sending away the request of Eritrea’s foreign minister.

    For some reaon, i also have limited faith in this Wetangula fellow…., and his Assistant…, they’ve done and said things we would rather not have them speak on my behalf on foreign policy issues

    • Anonymous

      kenyans wake up brothers and sisters
      i am eritrean lived in kenya for more than 6 years.i know kenyan very well .they atr good people and undestanding.they were cheated by ethiopian and american.what i know is there is word called .pole in kiswahile when they say sorry it is from their bottom of thier heart.kenyan must understand  ethiopian and eritrean are having proxy war.donot involve your beloved country.kenyan economy relay on tourisom and try to pick war with somalia it will affect your economy.so i would like to say kenyan wake up you are involved proxy war between ethiopia and eritrea.ethiopia or melese zenawi will do impossible to harm eritrea even if it cost kenyan people blood.melese asked u to join war against somalia people what i know most somali-kenyan lived in kenya for decay so u are fighting with your own people .if somali kenyan fight against your country it will be kenyan killing kenyan  becoming somlia in nairobi inthe heart of easlighli .try to read history between eritrea and ehiopia .more than 50 years war .change your policy  toward eritrea people .what you guys did was wrong accusing eritrea with out proof so try to amened with our beloved president isayas aforki.once agin kenyan wake up you are involved in war that dose not have limit like afganistan war

      • Armenia

        Are you again cheating the people of Kenya? Do you belive Kenyan are as fool as what you think? are they a puppet or a card to be played?? what a mess are u Eritrean doing upon the people of the horn of Africa.
        Are you saying Isayas codemn Alshibaba’s kidnapping and terror plots in Kenya? Are you saying Isayas suport Kenyan incursion and officially codemn Alshabab’s Alqaida linked criminal gangs??
        Are you denying alshababa’s headquarter is not in Asmara? Are you saying islamic propogandists are not broadcasting their statement from Asmara?? What a lie bullshit!
        No one is willing to be decived by Eritrean anymore. You are a lier and foolish people interfering in others affair. Somalina problem might affect Kenya and Ethiopia, why you consider yourself as the power house in the horn where Ethiopia and Kenya big army with big economy situated?
        THe UN is not a cartoon or animated object, even Russia and Chinaese are concious for your evil act in the horn.
        Work hard Ethiopia and Kenya and vanish extrimists and Killers, including Isayas, build roads and electrification projects, use your ports and avoid poverity, While Eritrea is busy in a failed attempt to bloodshed the area, broadcast fabricated lies!!

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