KENYA: ICC prosecutor Ocampo visits Kenya's post election violence victims

Record ID: 347719

  • Title: KENYA: ICC prosecutor Ocampo visits Kenya's post election violence victims
  • Date: 11th May 2010
  • Summary: NAIROBI, KENYA (FILE) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF BODY ON THE GROUND IN MATHARE SLUM
  • Embargoed: 26th May 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Kenya
  • Country: Kenya
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA53L1VBBQCKKXDQFMZC9KE4XAE
  • Story Text: The International Criminal Court (ICC) chief prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo on Monday (May 10) started visiting victims of the 2007/2008 ethnic clashes which erupted following a disputed presidential election, in a process which could see influential politicians and businessmen from Kenya going to The Hague.
    Ocampo met a small number of victims of the violence after he made a trip to Kenya's second largest slum, Mathare after watching a local documentary made by a youth group in the area.
    "My duty is to understand the views of the victims, in the slum there were many victims and normally are marginal. I like my duty, I like that they feel that the international prosecutor went to Mathare. It was a short visit and we saw just a little group but this is the beginning. It is important for us to understand what happened to them and how they feel," he said.
    ICC judges have authorised Ocampo to investigate the masterminds of the 2007-2008 unrest in which authorities have said more than 1,200 people were killed, several hundreds raped and more than 350,000 forcibly displaced.
    Moreno-Ocampo said he was in the country to speak to victims of the bloodshed, church leaders, tribal leaders and local authorities, but would not be taking any statements just yet.
    "It is not evidence, they are not bringing any evidence but for me, the important part is not, they will not provide evidence but they are an important part of this community in the slum and they can help them a lot so we see how we can work together with them I think they have a role in the healing of the conflict, " Ocampo added.
    Kenya had promised to deal with the masterminds. But numerous attempts to kick-start the process floundered and many Kenyans doubt powerful individuals will be arrested and charged because of widespread impunity among politicians.
    ICC investigations are expected to last up to seven months and the trials to start in 2012.
    "The problem is, we collect the Waki commission, the commission provided a lot of documents and also I think it is important, timing is important here because we are aiming for the prevention of future crime so to prevent crime timing is important," Ocampo said.
    Ethnic clashes killed at least 1,300 people and drove 300,000 from their homes after a disputed ballot at the end of 2007, shattering the image of east Africa's biggest economy as the region's tranquil business, tourism and logistics hub.
    A coalition government formed to end the turmoil has disappointed many Kenyans by doing little more than bicker amongst its members, while local activists and donor nations say time is running out for it to enact the reforms it promised.
    Former U.N. chief Kofi Annan, who mediated an end to the bloody conflict, warned that unless the architects of the killings were brought to book, there was a serious risk violence would erupt again at the next presidential election in 2012.
    The ICC, established in 2002, is the world's first permanent court set up to try individuals for genocide, war crimes and other major human rights violations.
    The court is trying several individuals for war crimes or crimes against humanity in Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Darfur, and has an outstanding arrest warrant for Sudan's president Omar Hassan al-Bashir.
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