For decades, Somalia regarded Kenya as a neutral arbiter, unlike Ethiopia, where long-standing resentments against Somalia have endured. Kenya’s military intervention in Somalia in 2011 and its meddling in the country’s internal affairs have ruined Kenya-Somalia relations and emboldened Al Shabaab.
Night-time raids, assassinations, muzzled reporting, and clandestine paramilitary unit have been the reality for dozens of Kenya's coastal residents since the 9/11 terror attack. As The elephant producer John Githongo and investigative reporter Namir Shabibi recall, 19 years since the 'War on Terror' began the terrain looks ever more precarious with heroes turning into villains, innocent people have paid the ultimate cost and the lines get blurred by the day.
The centrality of affordable, available, variety of food to the peace infrastructure of the horn of Africa cannot be underestimated. And as food expert Guled Ahmed clarifies the regional governments have to prioritize the political and economic aspects of food security to guarantee the stability of their respective nations.
The Westgate attack was a missed teachable moment in the country’s Western-funded counterterrorism campaign and Kenyan continue to pay the price for it.