News

The Green Belt Movement (GBM): Our position on the Continued Violence in the Tana Delta

February 6, 2013

Since August 2012, violence has returned to the Tana Delta. There have been over 34,000 people displaced and over 180 deaths including nine police officers. Violence in the Delta region has been exacerbated by the recent dry weather which has increased problems of access to water, and land rights issues. In response to the clashes a Commission of Inquiry has been set up by the Kenyan government with over 1,000 General Service Unit (GSU) officers deployed to the area to contain the violence.

However, as Kenya prepares for the next General Elections in March 2013, we are very concerned that this violence may continue and perhaps increase. 

Thousands of people across the region have lost property, their houses burnt and livestock lost. With every attack and counter-attack the highest numbers of those displaced, killed and injured are women and children. Reports are that women and children are moving en masse to safer areas, while men remain behind to guard possessions. However the reality on the ground is different, in the August 2012 outbreak the BBC reported that most of the 52 dead were women and children, many of whom were hacked to death with machetes. Many more have died since in three outbreaks in September, December, and most recently in January 2013.

Kenya should not need regional or international bodies to address this type of internal conflict. After the experiences of the 2007/2008 elections how can we afford to continue with election campaigns without addressing the reality of internal violence? In this, Kenya’s Jubilee year, we should not have left this kind of violence far behind. With over 180 people dead and 34,000 displaced in one location the loss of life and property is unacceptable. It is time to act!

Although every citizen has a primary responsibility to maintain peace, violence in this area must be addressed by the Government with support from civil society. There needs to be a clear understanding of what is causing this violence.  This would help the relevant parties to address and resolve the conflict. We need to identify the true cause and nature of the violence – whether it is interest or value driven – and use the proper mechanisms of addressing this violence.

The political interests now purportedly fueling the attacks and retaliation are only taking advantage of existing tensions based on inequitable resource use. The livelihoods and properties that have been destroyed must be compensated to enable this community to return to normality.

This being an election year, Kenyans cannot take it lightly!

The violence will have deep, long-lasting impacts on all members of these communities as it has robbed them of their livelihoods, education, and properties. Children are no longer going to school and adults are no longer earning a living. The environment has been severely destroyed and it will take years to recover.

There are two critical actions needed in the Tana Delta. In the short term, the Government must provide sufficient security, employing new and different approaches, as the existing ones seem to be ineffective. The new Inspector General of Police must be supported by and work with other government agencies, political and local leaders, religious groups, the peace-building organizations and other stakeholders to address and stop internal violence. Once the violence stops all stakeholders need to come together to address the conflicts that lie at the root of the violence.

Professor Wangari Maathai often used to say that the environment is forgotten when seeking solutions. We, at Green Belt Movement stand ready to support the Tana River Delta communities to address their resource-use issues, but we must first insist on safety for all the people of the Tana Delta. 

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