Kenyan and Somali leaders agree to share terrorism intelligence
NAIROBI (Xinhua) — Kenyan and Somali governments on Saturday reached an agreement on the intelligence sharing system that will help in identifying those who mastermind and perpetrate terror activities.
Presidents Uhuru Kenyatta and Prime Minister of Somalia Abdiwelli Sheikh Ahmed said the intelligence service of the two countries will work closely to effectively monitor and eliminate the threat posed by the ‘al-Shabaab’ terror network.
“We need the intelligence to eliminate the enemies of humanity who have continued to cause suffering in our two countries and whose agenda is to make a whole community look guilty,” Kenyatta said in Nairobi when he held talks with Ahmed.
A statement issued after the meeting said Kenyatta assured the premier that recent operations targeting illegal foreigners were never meant to single out Somalis but to bolster the security of the country.
Kenya launched Operation Usalama Watch in April 2 immediate after grenade attacks in Nairobi, arresting more than 400 aliens and refugees who were later deported while others returned back to the refugee camps.
Human rights organizations including the Somali government said the round-up operation, which began on April 1, has been riddled with abuses.
The security operation followed grenade and gun attacks in Mombasa and Nairobi by unknown perpetrators on March 23 and March 31 that killed 12 and injured at least eight.
The operation has particularly affected Somalis, ethnic Somali Kenyans, Ethiopians, South Sudanese, and Kenyan Muslim populations in Nairobi’s Eastleigh and “South C” neighborhoods, Mombasa’s Likoni area, and in other towns in central Kenya and the coast region.
Speaking during the meeting, the Somali premier thanked Kenya for its support – both military and political – to his country over the years.
“We are very grateful and we know what the Kenyan troops in our country are doing for us,” he said.
Ahmed said the Somali government knows that President Kenyatta was an honest and dependable friend.
“We have been told that whenever you meet your counterparts from all over the world, you never finish your meetings before putting the agenda of Somalia on the table,” he said.
The Somali PM said the Horn of Africa nation was now getting back on its feet and they were now working on the federal blocks.
He said the biggest challenge they faced was the threat posed by terrorists and thanked Kenya for playing a significant role in reducing the strength of Al-Shabaab by dislodging them from Southern Somalia.
Ahmed said they were ready to share intelligence with Kenya so that the two countries can fight terrorism from a common front.
The East African nation continues to suffer several attacks as terrorists change tuck to beat heightened security and carry on with their heinous acts undetected.
In the past year and a half, there have been numerous attacks involving shootings, grenades, or other explosive devices in Kenya in addition to the attacks described above.
In total, over 200 people have been killed in these attacks and hundreds have been injured.
Approximately 53 of these attacks occurred in northeastern Kenya, mainly in Dadaab, Wajir, Garissa, and Mandera counties. Several attacks also occurred along the Kenyan coast.
Meanwhile, Kenyatta said his government will undertake more measures to strengthen institutional structures of the government of Somalia.
He said Kenya has stood with the people of Somalia for the more than two decades they faced wars and will continue doing so.
The first of the new measures will be to help the transitional government of Somalia establish proper financial management systems, the lack of which has been an impediment for international donor support for the transitional government.
Kenyatta revealed that as recently as Friday, he had discussed Somalia issues with EU leaders who were in Nairobi for a meeting, but the EU ministers pointed out that the lack of financial management structures was an obstacle for aiding the country.
“Beginning today, our National Treasury will start supporting your government in setting up financial systems and this will help you meet all financial control standards,” he said.
Kenyatta said his government would provide financial expertise and trainings to help the Somali government to establish institution that satisfy international standards.
Kenyatta also said that the opening of a Kenyan Embassy in Somalia will be fast-tracked so that it can strengthen the link between the two governments.
.