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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2009
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Kenya Unrest

Started by K Schwartz; Last updated by D Lim

Kenya Unrest

The country's president is ready for talks with the oppostion..."once the nation is calm"

Will Kenya continue to spiral toward ethnic war in the post-election unrest? President Mwai Kibaki appealed for calm but opposition leader Raila Odinga remains combative, accusing Kibaki allies of "genocide."

Stories

Stories 21 - 40 of 59

  • February 2008
    • Fighting Scars Smallest Kenyans

      Fighting Scars Smallest Kenyans

      (Newser) - The violence in Kenya is separating droves of children from their parents—sometimes forever, the BBC reports. One Nairobi orphanage is currently hosting 60 displaced children; some wait for their parents to find them, but most know their mothers and fathers are already dead. "It's been a traumatizing experience for them," says one Red Cross activist. More »

    • Kenya Leaders Agree to Peace Talk Structure

      Kenya Leaders Agree to Peace Talk Structure

      (Newser) - Kenya's rival leaders have agreed on an outline for peace talks, Kofi Annan said today. Larger problems could take a year to iron out, but the ex-UN chief said the most pressing issues--ending the killings, aiding those hit by the turmoil, and fixing "immediate" political woes--could be solved within the next 7 to 15 days, Reuters reports. More »

  • January 2008
    • Kenya Upheaval Could Reach 'Catastrophic Levels'

      Kenya Upheaval Could Reach 'Catastrophic Levels'

      (Newser) - Kenya's political turmoil continues to wreak havoc, and it is "threatening to escalate to catastrophic levels," UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today. After the killing of another member of Raila Odinga's opposition party yesterday, the country faced renewed violence, Reuters reports. The death toll has reached 850 since late December as political disputes have opened old territorial conflicts. More »

    • 2nd Opposition Lawmaker Shot Dead in Kenya

      2nd Opposition Lawmaker Shot Dead in Kenya

      (Newser) - A second Kenyan opposition politician has been killed in the country's troubled Rift Valley, only two days after the murder of one of his colleagues. The lawmaker, who won a seat in parliament on the ticket of Raila Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement in December's contested elections, was fatally shot by a traffic cop at a roadblock. The police claimed the killing was part of a lovers' quarrel, but the party says it was a political assassination. More »

    • Slain Kenyan Pol a Key to Peace

      Slain Kenyan Pol a Key to Peace

      (Newser) - The Kenyan opposition lawmaker who was dragged from his car yesterday and shot to death could have been key to ending the ethnically charged turmoil, reports the New York Times, but his assassination instead further plunged the country into violent chaos. Melitus Mugabe Were had been working toward peace, able to bridge ethnic divides because of his Kikuyu wife. “Whoever did this has killed the dreams of many,” one friend said. More »

    • US Rips Kenya Opposition Over 'Ethnic Cleansing'

      US Rips Kenya Opposition Over 'Ethnic Cleansing'

      (Newser) - The top US envoy to Africa today accused supporters of Kenya's opposition of "clear ethnic cleansing" after violence in the Rift Valley killed hundreds of Kikuyus, who support embattled president Mwai Kibaki. "The aim originally was not to kill, it was to cleanse, it was to push them out" of the valley, Jendayi Frazer told reporters at the African Union summit in Ethiopia. Now, "killing may be the object," she added. More »

    • Pol's Death Sparks Kenya Battles

      Pol's Death Sparks Kenya Battles

      (Newser) - Army helicopters fired on crowds to protect Kenyans fleeing bloodshed and mobs torched homes and people as violence escalated today in the wake of the killing of an opposition politician, the BBC reports. At least four people were killed in a Nairobi slum after a member of opposition leader Raila Odinga's party was apparently killed in his home nearby in the ethnic violence ripping apart the nation.  More »

    • 'Sickening Brutality' Spreads in Kenya

      'Sickening Brutality' Spreads in Kenya

      (Newser) - Ethnic violence and revenge killing continued unchecked in western Kenya today, with at least 17 more people beaten, hacked, or burned to death by mobs engaged in what the BBC correspondent calls  "sickening brutality" since last month’s contested presidential election. The death toll is nearing 750, the BBC reports, as former UN chief Kofi Annan spent a sixth day in the conflict-ravaged country trying to negotiate a peace deal. More »

    • River of Blood Runs in Kenya

      River of Blood Runs in Kenya

      (Newser) - Kenyans were burned alive and hacked to death with machetes as raging ethnic violence in western Kenya claimed another 69 lives in the latest bloodshed since last month's controversial presidential election. Houses were in flames in the tourist getaway of Naivasha today and bodies were stacked up in the morgue in Nakuru, the provincial capital where clashes erupted Thursday and continued through the weekend. More »

    • In Kenya, Annan Denounces Violent 'Abuses'

      In Kenya, Annan Denounces Violent 'Abuses'

      (Newser) - Kofi Annan, in Kenya to mediate a settlement to the brutal conflict rocking the country, condemned the "gross and systematic abuses of human rights"  he had seen on a tour of the country's worst flashpoints, the BBC reports. Dozens more gruesome deaths were reported today. Annan spoke of displaced families and called on Kenyans to break the cycle of revenge. More »

    • Runners Are Targets Amid Kenya Strife

      Runners Are Targets Amid Kenya Strife

      (Newser) - Some of the world's best runners have been receiving death threats as conflict continues in their native Kenya, where rumors circulate that the athletes were involved in stirring up ethnic killings. Top Kenyan runners are meeting in the town of Eldoret to discuss their response, the AP reports. "I am scared. We are scared," says a Kenyan athletics official. More »

    • Former UN Boss Tackling Kenya Crisis

      Former UN Boss Tackling Kenya Crisis

      (Newser) - Former United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan will fly to Kenya today to try to mediate the nation's political crisis and stop the violence. He faces a difficult task. Members of President Mwai Kibaki's cabinet are hostile to mediation, and opposition leader Raila Odinga is in no mood to back down. "I'm the rightful elected president. Kibaki stole his way into power," he told Reuters. More »

    • Kenyan Killings 'Planned'

      Kenyan Killings 'Planned'

      (Newser) - As the death toll in Kenya's ongoing ethnic violence continued to mount yesterday, evidence indicates that some of the horrific bloodshed was carefully planned, the New York Times reports. Flyers warned of ethnic killings—now responsible for at least 650 deaths in the past month—even before December's controversial presidential election. Young men were armed by elders, politicians inflamed tensions in speeches, and tribal leaders report holding meetings to plot attacks. More »

    • 3 Dead In New Kenya Violence

      3 Dead In New Kenya Violence

      (Newser) - At least three people were hacked to death with machetes and homes were set ablaze in a fresh outbreak of ethnic violence in Kenya today between President Mwai Kibaki's Kikuya group and opposition backers of Raila Odinga, Reuters reports. The deaths bring to 31 those killed since Odinga's supporters began three days of anti-government rallies last week. More »

    • At Least 13 Dead in Kenyan Protests

      At Least 13 Dead in Kenyan Protests

      (Newser) - At least 13 people were killed today in Kenya as police fired into crowds of protesters and rival tribes attacked one another in a continued response to the disputed presidential election, Reuters reports. Today marked the third and final day of oppositional political protests, which were met with lethal force. Police deny they have shot unarmed protesters. More »

    • Kenyan Police Fire on Protesters

      Kenyan Police Fire on Protesters

      (Newser) - Kenyan police clashed with protesters in the streets of Nairobi today; opposition leader Raila Odinga claims seven were killed as police fired on angry crowds protesting president Mwai Kibaki’s disputed reelection. One witness said police fired live rounds “indiscriminately,” despite assurances that only batons and teargas were authorized. The BBC confirms at least two deaths in the second of three days of planned protests; four were killed yesterday. More »

    • Kenya Braces for More Violence

      Kenya Braces for More Violence

      (Newser) - Tensions are rising in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi as angry opposition supporters prepare for three days of protests over the re-election of President Mwai Kibaki in an allegedly rigged ballot. Opposition protests have been banned by the Kibaki regime, triggering concerns that rallies could spark major clashes. Some 600 people have already been killed since the Dec. 27 vote. More »

    • Kenyan Prez Lost Vote, Says US Exit Poll

      Kenyan Prez Lost Vote, Says US Exit Poll

      (Newser) - A US-backed exit poll of voters in last month's Kenyan presidential elections found that incumbent Mwai Kibaki lost resoundingly to challenger Raila Odinga. The poll hasn’t been publicly released yet for unknown reasons, but sources say Odinga came out 8 percentage points ahead—well above the margin of error—throwing further doubt on Kibaki’s already suspicious victory, McClatchy reports. More »

    • African Union Can't Resolve Kenya Crisis

      African Union Can't Resolve Kenya Crisis

      (Newser) - An attempt to broker an end to the Kenyan crisis failed today when an African Union mission couldn't get opposing sides to agree on how to end the violence, Reuters reports. AU head John Kufuor pressed opposition leader Raila Odinga and President Mwai Kibaki to settle; after talks disintegrated into finger-pointing, the rivals agreed to work with a panel headed by former UN chief Kofi Annan. More »

    • Ethnic Gangs Rile Kenyan Slums

      Ethnic Gangs Rile Kenyan Slums

      (Newser) - The ethnic violence that has ripped through Kenya since December's disputed election is particularly gruesome between gangs in the slums of Nairobi, Newsweek reports. On one side is the self-proclaimed “Taliban,” a group dedicated to protecting their Luo tribe, and imposing order and justice much like their Afghan namesake. Their enemies are the Mungiki, a Kikuyu gang rumored to drink blood during ritualized killings. More »

Stories 21 - 40 of 59

Mwai Kibaki, President of Kenya shakes hands with Kenyans after he cast his vote as he seeks his reelection in Nyeri, Othaya, Kenya, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2007 in a poll in which 14.2 million people are registered to vote. Mwai Kibaki, Raila Odinga and Kalonzo Musyoka are running for...
Mwai Kibaki, President of Kenya shakes hands with Kenyans after he cast his vote as he seeks his reelection in Nyeri, Othaya, Kenya, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2007 in a poll in which 14.2 million people are...   (Associated Press)
Kenyan line up to casts their vote  at a polling station in Nairobi, Kenya, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2007. Kenyans headed to the polls Thursday in a presidential election that is shaping up to be the closest in this East African country's history. (AP Photo/Akmal Rajput)
Kenyan line up to casts their vote at a polling station in Nairobi, Kenya, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2007. Kenyans headed to the polls Thursday in a presidential election that is shaping up to be the closest...   (Associated Press)
Luo supporters of the Orange Democratic Movement of opposition leader Raila Odinga, with machetes rally in the Kibera slums on the outskirts of Nairobi, Saturday, Dec. 29, 2007. Thousands of people waved machetes and shouted tribal epithets Saturday in one of Africa's largest slums as tensions flared over delays in...
Luo supporters of the Orange Democratic Movement of opposition leader Raila Odinga, with machetes rally in the Kibera slums on the outskirts of Nairobi, Saturday, Dec. 29, 2007. Thousands of people waved...   (Associated Press)
A Kikuyu supporter of the Party of National Unity of Mwai Kibaki, tears at the billboard of opposition leader Raila Odinga on the outskirts of Nairobi, Saturday, Dec. 29, 2007. (AP Photo/Sayyid Azim)
A Kikuyu supporter of the Party of National Unity of Mwai Kibaki, tears at the billboard of opposition leader Raila Odinga on the outskirts of Nairobi, Saturday, Dec. 29, 2007. (AP Photo/Sayyid Azim)   (Associated Press)
Kenya's President Mwai Kibaki is seen in Nairobi in this Dec. 12, 2007 file photo. Kibaki was re-elected in the closest presidential election in the country's history, the elections chief said Sunday, Dec. 30, 2007. The contest was marked by allegations of rigging on both sides. (AP Photo/Sayyid Azim, File)
Kenya's President Mwai Kibaki is seen in Nairobi in this Dec. 12, 2007 file photo. Kibaki was re-elected in the closest presidential election in the country's history, the elections chief said Sunday,...   (Associated Press)
Orange Democratic Movement supporters attack a bus that they burned, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2007 during riots in the Mathare slum in Nairobi. Kenya's opposition candidate called on President Mwai Kibaki to concede defeat Sunday, accusing him of fraud after a chaotic vote count sparked widespread violence and fears of rigging....
Orange Democratic Movement supporters attack a bus that they burned, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2007 during riots in the Mathare slum in Nairobi. Kenya's opposition candidate called on President Mwai Kibaki to...   (Associated Press)
A doctor tends a man after he was admitted with serious burns at the Coast General Hospital, in Mombasa, Kenya, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2008. Youths protesting against the outcome of the Dec. 27, 2007 presidential elections set him on fire. Kenyans ventured warily out in search of food on Tuesday...
A doctor tends a man after he was admitted with serious burns at the Coast General Hospital, in Mombasa, Kenya, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2008. Youths protesting against the outcome of the Dec. 27, 2007 presidential...   (Associated Press)
Opposition supporters hold machetes and crude weapons next to a poster of opposition leader Raila Odinga, Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2008 during riots in the Mathare slum in Nairobi, Kenya. The head of the African Union was traveling to Kenya Wednesday for crisis talks to end an explosion of postelection violence...
Opposition supporters hold machetes and crude weapons next to a poster of opposition leader Raila Odinga, Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2008 during riots in the Mathare slum in Nairobi, Kenya. The head of the African...   (Associated Press)
Protestors hold crude weapons and machetes, Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2008 during riots in the Mathare slum in Nairobi, Kenya. The head of the African Union was traveling to Kenya Wednesday for crisis talks to end an explosion of postelection violence that has killed more than 275 people, including dozens burned...
Protestors hold crude weapons and machetes, Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2008 during riots in the Mathare slum in Nairobi, Kenya. The head of the African Union was traveling to Kenya Wednesday for crisis talks...   (Associated Press)
Kenyan riot police help a man that was attacked by machetes, Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2008 during riots in the Mathare slum in Nairobi, Kenya. The head of the African Union was traveling to Kenya Wednesday for crisis talks to end an explosion of postelection violence that has killed more than...
Kenyan riot police help a man that was attacked by machetes, Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2008 during riots in the Mathare slum in Nairobi, Kenya. The head of the African Union was traveling to Kenya Wednesday...   (Associated Press)
Supporters of Raila Odinga's party, the Orange Democratic Movement, run from tear gas grenades past a burning barricades they constructed, as they clash with police in the Kibera slum area of Nairobi, Kenya Thursday, Jan. 3, 2008. Riot police fired tear gas and water cannons Thursday to beat back surging...
Supporters of Raila Odinga's party, the Orange Democratic Movement, run from tear gas grenades past a burning barricades they constructed, as they clash with police in the Kibera slum area of Nairobi,...   (Associated Press)
Opposition leader Raila Odinga, center right, visits people who were hospitalized at the Massaba Hospital after being shot during clashes in Nairobi, Kenya Thursday, Jan. 3, 2008. Riot police fired tear gas and water cannons Thursday to beat back surging crowds of rock-throwing opposition protesters who took to the streets...
Opposition leader Raila Odinga, center right, visits people who were hospitalized at the Massaba Hospital after being shot during clashes in Nairobi, Kenya Thursday, Jan. 3, 2008. Riot police fired tear...   (Associated Press)
A young girl cries as she is carried by a man fleeing an area of wooden kiosks which was set on fire by supporters of Raila Odinga's party, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), in the Kibera slum area of Nairobi, Kenya Thursday, Jan. 3, 2008. Riot police fired tear gas...
A young girl cries as she is carried by a man fleeing an area of wooden kiosks which was set on fire by supporters of Raila Odinga's party, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), in the Kibera slum area...   (Associated Press)
Protesters carry sticks while walking past burning shops in Nairobi, Kenya, Thursday, Jan. 3, 2008. Riot police fired tear gas and water cannons Thursday to beat back crowds of stone-throwing opposition protesters in the slums of Kenya's capital, where deepening post-election violence in what had been one of Africa's most...
Protesters carry sticks while walking past burning shops in Nairobi, Kenya, Thursday, Jan. 3, 2008. Riot police fired tear gas and water cannons Thursday to beat back crowds of stone-throwing opposition...   (Associated Press)
A Lutheran church burns, Thursday, Jan. 3, 2008 in the Kibera slum in Nairobi, Kenya. Riot police fired tear gas and water cannons Thursday to beat back crowds of opposition protesters in Kenya's capital, as the country's attorney general appealed for an independent inquiry to verify disputed results from last...
A Lutheran church burns, Thursday, Jan. 3, 2008 in the Kibera slum in Nairobi, Kenya. Riot police fired tear gas and water cannons Thursday to beat back crowds of opposition protesters in Kenya's capital,...   (Associated Press)
Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki, right, gives a press conference at the State House in Nairobi, Kenya, Thursday, Jan. 3, 2008.Riot police fired tear gas and water cannons Thursday to beat back crowds of opposition protesters in Kenya's capital, as the president appealed for calm and the country's attorney general...
Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki, right, gives a press conference at the State House in Nairobi, Kenya, Thursday, Jan. 3, 2008.Riot police fired tear gas and water cannons Thursday to beat back crowds of...   (Associated Press)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Jan 2 Kenya Election Update Riots Kibaki Odinga   (zulusafari (YouTube))
Violence as Kibaki wins election   (parsnewz (YouTube))
Scores dead in Kenya clashes   (bbcworldnews (YouTube))

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next »

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