The Kidnapping of Italian Aid Worker in Kenya is a Reminder that the War on Terror is Lost
This Chakama (a village
in Kilifi County in Kenya's Coast) attack and kidnapping of an aid worker is
another reminder on the risks associated with humanitarian work. This being a
region that I frequented for over 2 years as part of my humanitarian and community
development work and having a good grasp of the local terrain down there I can
make an opinion or two. First, it is wrong for the Kenyan security forces to
claim that this is an isolated case; it is not. This is part of a pattern
traceable to Al Shabaab and one that has been going on for a long time. Which
brings me to my second point. This is typically an Al Shabaab version of
attack; let's guard against disassociating it with the terror group for indeed
it has all the hallmarks of the group.
Three and most importantly, this reminds
us that Kenya is not winning the "war on terror." On 16 October 2011
Kenya dispatched some 2,000 troops across the border into Somalia. The invasion
was called ‘Linda Nchi’ in Swahili (‘Operation Protect the Nation’). While the
operation later mutated and the troops were integrated into the UN-backed African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), it has never
really achieved its objective to "linda nchi" (protect the nation).
It is exactly these kinds of kidnappings that saw Kenya deploy its military to
Somalia to pursue Al Shabaab. My argument has always been that Kenya's so called "war on
terror" as framed (which is basically American) cannot be won. Kenya must
go back to the security chase board and reorganize its strategy if it has to
effectively deal with its key security threats including the Al Shabaab and
other radical and organised criminal gangs especially in the Kenyan coast.
The Kidnapping of Italian Aid Worker in Kenya is a Reminder that the War on Terror is Lost
Reviewed by Ibrahim Magara
on
November 22, 2018
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