From: Biniam Haile \(SWE\) (eritrea.lave@comhem.se)
Date: Fri Aug 07 2009 - 16:23:54 EDT
KENYA KICKS OUT ERITREA DIPLOMAT
KENNETH OGOSIAPosted Friday, August 7 2009 at 18:24
Kenya revealed on Friday that it had deported an Eritrean diplomat "for
security reasons" hours before the country's Foreign Minister made an
abrupt visit to Nairobi seeking audience with President Kibaki.
The diplomat is the second Eritrean to be expelled from Kenya in as many
months on grounds of "security" - which is diplomatic speak for
involvement in activities that undermine the host country. He was
described as a businessman.
Security grounds
The Foreign Affairs adviser of public affairs, Prof Egara Kabaji, said
the head of Horn of Africa division who could give more information, was
out of office on transfer to Uganda. He, however, referred further
queries to Immigration department or the government spokesman Dr Alfred
Mutua.
The Immigration public communications officer, Mr E Njeru, said "there
are two cases involving Eritreans who were deported on security related
grounds. The diplomat's case happened earlier."
He identified one of the deportees as Mr Hannibal Menghstie but we could
not verify immediately whether he was the diplomat.
Contacted by the Saturday Nation, the Eritrean Ambassador, a Mr Sareh,
said: "We have seen Mr Wetang'ula and all questions should be answered
from the Kenyan Foreign Affairs office."
The expulsions and Thursday's blistering attack by United States
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on the Horn of Africa nation for its
involvement in the Somalia crisis is building up into the new front in
the regional fight against terrorism.
Eritrea is allegedly bolstering insurgents al-Shabaab's firepower and
inflicting a heavy price on the AU forces.
On July 11, the Ugandan contingent in Mogadishu lost three soldiers
during intensive fighting, when the insurgents shelled the presidential
palace with mortars.
Sources in Mogadishu also said 15 Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF)
troops had been critically wounded in the fighting although the Ugandan
army spokesman, Maj Felix Kulayigye, last week acknowledged only one was
wounded.
A day after Mrs Clinton warned of unspecified action against the
country, Eritrea dispatched Foreign Minister Osman Saleh Mohammed to
Nairobi who immediately went into a meeting with Kenyan counterpart, Mr
Moses Wetang'ula.
http://www.nation.co.ke/News/-/1056/636288/-/ullu0r/-/
Kenya's Foreign Affairs minister Moses Wetangula. Kenya revealed on
Friday that it had deported an Eritrean diplomat "for security reasons".
Photo/FILE
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awp49i/-/gitwetangula1201x.jpg>
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