Mbeki causes stir in Nairobi street

• Former South African president visits bookshop and buys a number of volumes

Former South African President Thabo Mbeki on Sunday made a surprise entry into a Nairobi bookshop, under tight security, attracting attention of passersby who congregated outside the shop to see him.

Mr Mbeki is in the country to chair the Panel of Eminent Persons, which is seeking to resolve the crisis sparked by the International Criminal Court’s indictment of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.

Mr al-Bashir is wanted by the ICC for war crimes and crimes against humanity in the war-torn region of Darfur in Sudan.

The panel was established last year to explore ways to secure peace, justice and reconciliation in Darfur.

However, Mr Mbeki’s presence had not been officially announced and it, therefore, caught many by surprise when they saw him entering Prestige Bookshop and Stationers on Mama Ngina Street in the city centre.

He entered the bookshop at 3.15 p.m. accompanied by the South African High Commissioner to Kenya, Mr Tony Msimanga.

A horde of security personnel that accompanied Mr Mbeki had to keep the curious crowd at bay.

The security men did not allow journalists to ask Mr Mbeki questions after he left the bookshop. Photojournalists had a hectic time trying to get a picture of the former South African president.

Mr Mbeki stayed at the bookshop for about 20 minutes where he bought several titles. The books, according to staff at the bookshop, were all on African and world affairs.

Foreign Affairs permanent secretary Thuita Mwangi said the government was aware about Mr Mbeki’s presence in the country.

He confirmed that the former president is in Nairobi to chair the Panel of Eminent Persons tackling the problem in Darfur.

The Sudanese Government appointed Mr Mbeki to chair the panel in March last year.

Mr Mbeki had been seeking to persuade the United Nations Security Council to suspend the indictment of al-Bashir for a year while trying to find solutions to the crisis in Dafur.

Sacked him

At the same time, the former president has been chairing talks to resolve Zimbabwe’s crisis after President Robert Mugabe won controversial elections and declined to fully share power with the opposition.

Mr Mbeki served as South African President between 1999 and 2008 when his own party, the African National Congress (ANC), sacked him.
He was forced to resign when a late-night sitting of the ANC executive demanded his removal from office.

It was the culmination of a long power struggle between Mr Mbeki and his more populist rival, Mr Jacob Zuma, who had challenged him for the ANC leadership.

Mr Zuma replaced Mr Mbeki, assuming leadership of the country.

Mr Zuma replaced Mr Kgalema Motlanthe, who had initially been sworn in as President after Mr Mbeki’s exit.