Mudavadi with David Gilmour, the Director of the Office of East African Affairs. /COURTESY.
WASHINGTON DC, Kenya Oct 1 – Amani National Congress (ANC) leader Musalia Mudavadi has emphasized the need for the government to handle the maritime dispute with Somalia with sobriety and urged the international community’s involvement.
Mudavadi said the dispute that is pending at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is “a grave matter. “The international community should not take this matter lightly. Nor should the commercial interests funded by giant oil companies lead to a miscarriage of justice.”
Mudavadi, who spoke during a meeting with David Gilmour, the Director of the Office of East African Affairs in the Office of State, was categorical that “This territory belongs to Kenya when viewed on the international scale of definitions of marine borders.”
Besides, he warned, “to abort justice and give this territory away to Somalia will only open up the region to further instability.”
Mudavadi has been in the US to for a series of meetings, in what is aimed at popularizing his 2022 presidential campaign.
Officials accompanying him said he has held a series of meeting with high level officials, including Marc Norman, the Director of Counterterrorism Bureau in the Office of State.
In the talks with Norman, the ANC leader underscored the need for collective global focus on finding solutions to the mushrooming of fragile states and failed states in Africa, as a critical measure in arresting global terrorism.
He observed that many African states were staggering towards collapse, due to abuse of electoral processes and disrespect for voters.
“Failed states and fragile states are increasingly proving to be the perfect breeding grounds for terrorism,” Mudavadi said, adding that failed and fragile states could no longer be looked at as isolated or local challenges.
During his tour of the US, Mudavadi also held a meeting with officials of the National Democratic Institute (NDI) who agreed to support his ANC party in capacity building.
Mudavadi meets NDI officials in the US. /COURTESY.
He hailed the US for supporting African states, including Kenya in combating Al Shabaab which has continued to launch attacks, including on Monday at a US base and on European Union convoy. The group has also launched similar attacks inside Kenya’s capital Nairobi killing dozens.
Going forward, Mudavadi said, there is need to address the challenges of democracy, poverty, youth unemployment and desperation, as these made youth easily desperate and vulnerable to recruitment into terror groups and other militia formations.
On his part, Norman acknowledged the role of poverty, undemocratic practices and state instability in the creation of terror movements.
But he said he was happy with the gains that have so far been realized globally.
Most of the terror movements in the world today, he said, were “a reflection of the post-physical caliphate that ISIS had set up.
“We are witnessing the fallout after the dismantling of the centre. ISIS affiliates are fighting for survival, but they will be subdued in the end,” he said.
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