Amnesty Plans Protests for Action
The Nation (Nairobi)
By Kevin J. Kelley And Sam Kiplagat
Washington, DC
Street protests and Internet activism are being encouraged worldwide today as part of Amnesty International’s Day of Action for Kenya.
“Around the world,” says Ms Ann Corbett, Amnesty’s US-based Kenya specialist, “Amnesty groups will demonstrate solidarity with the people of Kenya and call on the Kenyan Government to protect people from politically motivated and ethnic violence.”
The actions will further demand that Kenya’s leaders “end the cycle of impunity that perpetuates the violence,” Ms Corbett adds.
In the United States, vigils will be held outside the Kenyan embassy in Washington and the Kenya consulate in Los Angeles. Another protest is scheduled to take place in Denver, the Colorado city that has a sister-city relationship with Nairobi.
Gatherings in solidarity with Kenya are also planned in the United Kingdom, Australia, Uganda and Kiribati, a Pacific island country.
Amnesty International is likewise urging Internet users to join a “Reach Out for Kenya” group on Facebook, a highly popular social networking site, and to send e-mail messages to Kenyan politicians urging an end to the violence.
Meanwhile, the United Nations has pledged to assert its presence in Kenya if the political situation deteriorates.
In a brief to the UN Security Council on the situation in Kenya on Monday, under-secretary-general for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes said that the international community should press for solutions both in short-term political problems and the long-term questions.
Humanitarian needs
Sir John said that in his assessment, major humanitarian needs would have to be addressed for many months to come.
“We are currently looking at least a year ahead, even on the basis of a quick and effective political settlement of the immediate issues. We will strengthen our own presence further, and reinforce our work alongside the Kenyan Red Cross on the basis of a strategic analysis of the needs, a clear action plan, and contingency planning in case things deteriorate,” he said.
Sir John, who is also UN’s emergency relief coordinator, suggested that the UN will also need to look hard at how to reorient its development programmes for Kenya to reflect the need to deal with the deep underlying problems which have come to the surface.
He said that if there was no quick resolution to the political crisis, the risk of a fresh surge in violence, more displacement and further polarisation of society was very high.
“The humanitarian consequences of this could dwarf anything we have seen so far. So the responsibility of the politicians on all sides is very great, as is the need for continuing strong support from the international community, including this council,” he said.
Sir John visited Kenya between February 8 and 10 to reaffirm the UN’s practical support for the Kenyan people during the difficult period of unrest.
“As part of this, I made clear again that the full weight of the UN was behind the mediation process led by former secretary general Kofi Annan,” he said.
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