Raila to meet UN chiefs in Geneva
What you need to know:
- PM will also brief Annan on efforts to form special tribunal to try
Prime Minister Raila Odinga will meet top UN officials in Geneva this week on a visit in which Kenya’s human rights record and the controversy over indicting and trying masterminds of the post-election violence will feature prominently.
Mr Odinga is also expected to meet former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and brief him on Kenya’s efforts to form a special tribunal to try post-election violence suspects.
Last Thursday, Mr Annan said Kenyan leaders had until the end of August to set up a local tribunal or he would forward the the list of suspects contained in the Waki Report to the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
Mr Annan’s position was backed by US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnnie Carson, who said President Barack Obama’s administration believes those responsible for the deaths of more than 1,000 Kenyans and displacement of 600,000 others should be punished.
The government had originally been given until March to form the tribunal or see the names of key individuals suspected to be behind the chaos handed over to the ICC. But attempts to form the special court were thwarted by Parliament.
On Saturday, Salim Lone, an adviser to Mr Odinga, confirmed that the PM was expected to meet Mr Annan.
“They will certainly meet,” Mr Lone told the Sunday Nation from Geneva.
He said Mr Annan was in Ghana but was expected back in Geneva tomorrow, the same day that Mr Odinga would be arriving in the Swiss city.
He also confirmed that Mr Odinga, who is slated to attend a three-day conference in Geneva, would hold talks with UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay.
“The PM, for sure, will discuss with the High Commissioner for Human Rights the breakthrough the coalition government had last week when both parties in Geneva were able to come up with a common position on Prof Philip Alston’s report on extrajudicial killings,” Mr Lone said.
Ms Pillay, a South African judge, commended the “wisdom and dignity” with which ODM and PNU delegates were able to reach a common stand in the last minute.
