KENYA: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad tours Mombasa urges Africa to say no to western exploitation

Record ID: 361320

  • Title: KENYA: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad tours Mombasa urges Africa to say no to western exploitation
  • Date: 23rd February 2009
  • Summary: MOMBASA, KENYA (FEBRUARY 25, 2009) (REUTERS) IRANIAN PRESIDENT MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD ARRIVING AT FUNCTION IMAM CONDUCTING PRAYERS AHMADINEJAD AND KENYAN FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER MOSES WETANG'ULA SEATED AHMADINEJAD LISTENING TO TRANSLATOR VARIOUS OF PEOPLE LISTENING TO IMAM WETANG'ULA LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (Farsi) IRANIAN PRESIDENT, MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD, SAYING: "The western
  • Embargoed: 10th March 2009 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Kenya
  • Country: Kenya
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVABZTPK3VNUD5QFV3RZB9P8M4W5
  • Story Text: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Wednesday (February 25), that African countries should stand up for themselves against counties who were out to exploit their raw materials.
    "The western world has always been oppressing Africa for so many years, but the Africans have said no!," the Iranian Head of State told thousands of Shia Muslims in Kenya's port city of Mombasa.
    Ahmadinejad arrived in Kenya late on Tuesday (February 24) and signed agreements on water supply, oil and direct flights between the two countries, with Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki, and other trade officials.
    Iran is one of the leading importers of Kenyan tea and is providing assistance to Kenya on several major projects aimed at upgrading east Africa's biggest economy's energy sector and infrastructure.
    Ahmadinejad criticised the west saying nations who sought to monopolise power impose sanction and threaten military action had not succeeded.

    "You have all seen the killings that took place in Gaza. Many nations watched as Israelis continued with their actions and they almost wiped out the Palestinians," he said.
    He did not name the countries, but the U.S. has tightened sanctions of Tehran's refusal to rein in its nuclear work.
    Kenya is a key ally of Washington, but that has not dampened relations with Iran, which Ahmadinejad, said had become closer then ever.
    Washington broke ties with Iran shortly after the 1979 Islamic revolutions when radical students stormed the U.S Embassy and held 54 Americans hostage for 444 days.
    In Mombasa, the Iranian head of state was mobbed by thousands of minority Shia Muslims in a field where he made his one and only public speech while in Kenya.
    After Kenya, the Iranian president is going to Djibouti and then to the coup prone Comoros islands.
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