DAILY NATION
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By WALTER MENYA wmenya@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Saturday, October 22 2011 at 22:15
Posted Saturday, October 22 2011 at 22:15
Kenya’s pursuit of the ragtag militia al Shabaab is quickly gaining success on the international stage with the diplomatic offensive registering impressive returns.
Nairobi has been courting world support as it goes after the often provocative terrorist group linked to al Qaeda that has consigned neighbouring Somalia into endless instability and a haven for piracy.
The diplomatic push, as well as the military incursion, has been fruitful as the world recognises the urgency to end the terrorist group’s grip on Somalia.
Key among the accomplishments was obtaining Somalia Transitional Federal Government’s (TFG) support that Kenya did when Foreign Affairs minister Moses Wetang’ula and his Defence counterpart Yusuf Hajji visited Mogadishu last week.
Leading world nations have openly or covertly expressed support to the decision to send the Kenya Defence Forces into Somalia to flush out the terrorists and secure the country’s border.
“All the strategic friends and partners of Kenya have without exception expressed support for us as it (Kenya) engages in self-defence and hot pursuit of the elements of al Shabaab,” Wetang’ula who has been leading the diplomatic offensive said.
“There has been phenomenal success on the diplomatic front just as our men and women in uniform on the frontline have also gained invaluable ground,” he said.
Mr Wetang’ula who arrived back to the country yesterday morning from a meeting of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (Igad) council of ministers on the Somalia issue again left for Australia last night for the Commonwealth Heads of State and Government meeting.
He will meet the Africanembassy foreign ministers from the Commonwealth member states separately to brief them on the offensive against al Shabaab before addressing the plenary of all members.
President Kibaki will also brief his counterparts on the Somalia issue. On Friday, French government threw its weight behind the military incursion by Kenya into Somalia.
A statement from the spokesperson of the French ministry of Foreign and European Affairs said Kenya’s decision to pursue al Shabaab militants inside Somalia would help restore the long-awaited security and stability in the Horn of Africa nation.
“Like the whole international community, France is supporting the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and contributing to the training of its security forces,” the short statement sent through the French embassy in Nairobi read.
We hope that the Kenyan operation, conducted in relation and in close collaboration with the TFG against the abuses of al Shabaab militia is assisting Somalia to return as rapidly as possible to a state of security and stability. This is in line with the objectives of the road map adopted in Mogadishu on September 6,” the spokesperson added.
The French also saluted the African Union Mission to Somalia (Amisom) peacekeepers, mainly from Burundi and Uganda for their role in flushing out the ragtag militia.
“In this joint combat, we also applaud the remarkable contribution of the Burundian and Ugandan Amisom troops which have made it possible, together with the TFG, to free the whole of the Somali capital during the last few weeks and to take back a number of strategic positions from al Shabaab militias,” the French government stated.
The US, according to Mr Wetang’ula, has backed Operation Linda Nchi through a message delivered through Kenya’s mission in Washington.
On the part of the Great Britain, Kenya believes that their silence means approval. “In so far as they have not said anything difference, we presume they are with us,” said Mr Wetang’ula.
The African Union as well as Ethiopia have also backed Kenya’s military advance alongside the Transitional Federal Government. This was resolved after a meeting with AU Commission chairman Jean Ping.
Mr Wetang’ula told the Sunday Nation that the continental body agreed to upscale the Amisom numbers.
Already, four more countries have agreed to contribute troops to the Amisom while Uganda and Burundi are also willing to provide additional soldiers.
The new troop-contributing countries are Nigeria, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Djibouti. “Since the al Shabaab are fleeing there is a vacuum that is remaining that has to be filled by Amisom troops,” the minister said.
The emergency meeting of the Igad on the Somalia issue held in Addis Ababa was also attended by Chief of Defence Forces General Julius Karangi, Head of Africa and AU Directorate Ambassador Michael Oyugi and Kenya’s Ambassador to Ethiopia and AU Monica Juma.
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