Kenyan president calls on militias to halt "senseless war" in Somalia

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NAIROBI: Kenyan president Mwai Kibaki called on the Somali leaders and rebel factions to stop their "senseless civil war" and heed the voices of millions of Somalis who have lived in refugee camps across the world, during Monday's celebrations to mark 48 years since Kenya's independence from British rule.

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The Kenyan president said his government was ready to work with all the regional and international players in the region to end the crisis once and for all, for the sake of regional stability. "It is time for them (Somalis) to reclaim their country and rejoin the family of nations," he said. "It is time to silence the cries of war and embrace the coming of age of peace and prosperity in Somalia," Kibaki added.
The East African nation launched its military operation on Oct. 16 in what it deemed an act of self-defence, following several cross-border attacks blamed on Somali militants.
Somalia's Al-Shabaab militia is planning to change its name to the Somali Islamic Emirates to gain greater Muslim support as it continues its battle with the Kenyan and Somali joint forces, a Kenyan Defence Forces (KDF) official said on Saturday.
"Al-Shabaab wants to change its name in order to win sympathy from Muslim faithful both in Somalia and around the world," KDF's Colonel Cyrus Oguna told a weekly press briefing in Nairobi, where he discussed progress on the warfront against the rebel force. The eight-week military operation has completely disrupted the group's activities and strategies, which could be prompting the move, the military strategist said.
Speaking on Monday, president Kibaki said Kenya has been faced with security threats emanating from insurgents operating from Somalia. "The insurgents have not only posed a major threat to our peace and security, but have also negatively affected our economy. For 20 years, the people have been subjected to a senseless civil war, " president Kibaki said. South Sudanese vice president, Riek Machar, and more than half of the South Sudanese cabinet attended the celebrations at a stadium in Nairobi.
President Kibaki regretted that a generation of Somali children has never seen the inside of a classroom and another generation have been born and raised inside a refugee camp. "The people of Somalia are scattered all over the world," he added.
Kibaki said the government mandated the KDF to pursue the insurgents into Somalia territory. "The operation is being undertaken jointly by the Kenyan troops and the Federal Government of Somalia forces. It is important for Kenyans, and indeed the international community, to understand that Kenya is not at war with Somalia," said the president.
Recently, Kenya's cabinet and parliament approved a request for its troops to join the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). President Kibaki said the KDF would work with Somalia's Transitional Federal Government (TFG), AMISOM, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN), to find long-term solution and ensure the stability of Somalia.
"To further enhance the security of our people, I call upon all Kenyans to be extra vigilant and supplement the good work of our security forces," Kibaki affirmed. He appealed to all Somalis to "seize the historic opportunity to stabilize their country."
"This is the time that the voice of the suffering millions of Somalia's people was heard and respected. Kenya stands ready to walk this journey with the people of Somalia that will see the drawn of a bright day of hope for them," Kibaki said.
Lindsay Kiptiness, the Deputy Director of Horn of Africa affairs at the Kenyan Foreign Ministry, said on Saturday that the KDF could start operating under AMISOM banner once the AU and the UN Security Council finally approve the plan.
The AU Peace and Security Council formally asked Kenya to re- hat its troops and Kenyan officials responded by calling for a mandate to defend and attack rebel outposts as a condition for joining the continental force. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, on a visit to Kenya and Somalia, also said he supported the changeover of the Kenyan troops into the AMISOM as part of the next phase of operations.
Kiptiness said the process could take up to two weeks. "This will give Kenya military involvement a regional dimension which will be better for Somalia in the long run," he said. This week's summit of the Great Lakes as well as AU Summit planned for in January 2012 are also expected to endorse Kenya efforts in Somalia, Kiptiness said.
The changeover into AMISOM will reduce the financial burden on Kenya once the arrangement is finalised, Kiptiness said. (Xinhua)