UN Official Probes Kenya Violence; Peace Talks Continue
The U.N.'s top human rights official sent a delegation to Kenya Wednesday to look into allegations of grave human rights violations in the wake of deadly post-election violence.
Once considered one of the most stable countries in Africa, Kenya has witnessed brutal violence and deadly fighting between rival ethnic groups since the Dec. 27 election. More than 1,000 people have died and a quarter million have been displaced.
The delegation, sent by U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour, began its three-week mission of gathering information from the government, the opposition, victims and witnesses on Wednesday. The findings will be made public, according to The Associated Press.
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"Truth and accountability are of critical importance in putting an end to the violence and preventing future human rights violations," said Arbour in a statement.
Violence erupted after the December presidential election when opposition leader Raila Odinga accused incumbent President Mwai Kibaki of rigging the poll to his advantage. The political dispute sparked underlying tribal tensions to flare between the two tribes of the presidential candidates, and then among other Kenyan tribes.
Just before the arrival of the U.N. delegation, an international ecumenical delegation, comprised of church representatives sent by the World Council of Churches, concluded its visit to Kenya on Sunday with a call to the country's political leaders to make peace now.
Although both Kibaki and opposition leader Odinga signed an agreement last week, committing to the African Union mediation process led by former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, violence has not quelled and the two leaders have continued to make the case for their own victory in the election.
"These documents are unlikely to be helpful to anyone," said Canon Peter Karanja, general secretary of the National Council of Churches of Kenya, referring to documents the leaders handed over to the ecumenical delegation supporting their case for victory.
"Now it is essential to separate issues of human life and dignity from the search for political justice," Karanja appealed.
Some Christian aid groups continue to rush relief supplies to victims of the Kenya violence. The Assemblies of God World Missions donated $75,000 to Convoy of Hope to ship containers of such supplies as clothing, blankets and meals to afflicted areas. Kenyan Christians have also joined the relief effort but they have also come under attack. More than 92 churches and community centers have been destroyed.
The Christian Reformed Church staff in Kenya cut back on relief and development efforts due to the violence, according to a report on Tuesday. Its Event Response Team is currently monitoring the situation in Kenya.
Meanwhile, the peace deal, brokered by Annan, is moving forward between Kibaki and Odinga's parties as they try to work together to end the violence and arrive at a political settlement. The deal includes calls for illegal militias to be disbanded and for investigation of all crimes connected to the violence, including those allegedly committed by the police.
