KENYA: ICC given names of election crisis suspects

Record ID: 361128

  • Title: KENYA: ICC given names of election crisis suspects
  • Date: 10th July 2009
  • Summary: NAIROBI, KENYA (FILE -2008, 2009) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS TAKING TO THE STREETS POLICE ON TRUCKS CHASING PROTESTERS VARIOUS OF FIRE ON THE STREETS WIDE OF PROTESTERS POLICE TURNING PROTESTERS AWAY POLICEMAN BEATING A PROTESTER MORE OF PROTESTER BEING CANED POLICE FIRING IN THE AIR VARIOUS OF LOOTERS BEING BEATEN BY POLICE MAN BLEEDING FROM HIS HEAD VARIO
  • Embargoed: 25th July 2009 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Kenya
  • Country: Kenya
  • Topics: Economic News
  • Reuters ID: LVACQLAF37B78WCXC2A8K6T4MIW5
  • Story Text: Kenyan's have welcomed a move by Kofi Annan to hand a sealed envelope with the names of top suspects for the post-election violence to the International Criminal Court's prosecutor crisis mediator Kofi Annan said on Thursday (July 09) he had handed.
    The move heightens pressure on Kenya's shaky coalition government to establish quickly a local court or face international justice for the worst bloodletting in the east African nation's post-independence history.
    "I think it was only a matter of time before Kofi Annan handed over that envelope to Ocampo, given the scenario the politicians are showing us it is only paramount that justice then be taken from their hands and over to the ICC where they can be prosecuted from the crimes which I think they are to be held responsible for," said Nairobi resident Rogers Karani.
    Punishing culprits is a crucial step to ensuring stability in the nation of 35 million that is the region's economic powerhouse and faces its next poll in 2012.
    Most people were caught unawares as they expected the envelope either to be handed over in August or early September.
    "It caught people unaware because we were not expecting this but all the same I think it's a step towards the right direction because we want as Kenyans to conclude this matter once and let those people who participated on this have a chance to defend themselves and it's up to ICC to take action," another resident Richard Yego added.
    His list of at least 10 alleged masterminds of the violence, in which at least 1,300 people died and 300,000 were uprooted, names prominent politicians and businessmen, probably including two ministers, local political sources say.
    Some Nairobi residents thought the move was not in good spirit as there was movement within the country to either set up a local tribunal or a high court that will specifically deal with election disputes.
    "We still have some room to manoeuvre we still form the local tribunal here we can still have a division of the high court handle local matters pertaining to local elections and post election violence so we still have some room to manoeuvre through these other than wait and then carry our leaders to the Hague," said Kennedy Gok.
    Two months of violence exploded after the Dec. 27, 2007 vote, following a campaign in which politicians openly whipped up supporters along tribal lines, and gangs stocked weapons in anticipation of fighting to come.
    Then opposition leader Raila Odinga accused President Mwai Kibaki of stealing the vote.
    With gangs facing off with machetes and clubs, and security forces opening fire on the streets, Annan brokered a power-sharing pact that eventually ended the violence and made Odinga prime minister.
    A government-ordered inquiry, the Waki Commission, had mandated Annan to hand over the envelope, with names of at least 10 alleged masterminds, if no local court was established.
    Kenyan officials told the ICC last week that they would submit a plan for a local court by September, so Annan's move will ramp up the pressure for that to happen.
    A statement from Annan in Geneva said he had informed both Kibaki and Odinga that the envelope's contents had been transmitted to ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo.
    Kenya's parliament has blocked previous attempts by Kibaki and Odinga to create a local court.
    While some legislators opposed the court out of self-interest, others did so on grounds it would be doomed to go the way of past inquiries in Kenya and fail to prosecute anyone.
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