Renounce violence and we'll negotiate, Kenya tells Shabaab

The Kenyan Government is ready to negotiate with the Al Shaabab to halt the operation in Somalia on condition that the militia renounces violence.

Foreign Affairs assistant minister Richard Onyonka said Thursday the Somalia militiant group currently under an onslaught by the army has frequently been in touch with the government.

“The truth is the Al Shaabab is frequently and constantly in touch with the Kenyan government…If the Al Shaabab would like to discuss and engage with the Kenyan government, our channels are very open,” said Mr Onyonka.

Speaking at a press conference at Parliament, Mr Onyonka said the Al Shaabab would first have to renounce violence as means to an end and anything they would want to do in Somalia.

“If they don’t renounce violence, the Kenyan government shall not discuss anything with them,” he added, saying the negotiations would also have to be guided by the Djibouti Agreement of 2010 and the Kampala Accord.

The Djibouti Agreement was signed between the Transitional Federal Government and the Alliance for the Liberation of Somalia in June 2008.

The Kampala Agreement was reached in June and led to the formation of the current TFG headed by Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.

Mr Onyonka said the government would only discuss with the Al Shaabab if there would be guarantees from the group that there would be peace in Somalia, whose conflict has of late posed a threat to the Kenyan economy.

He declined to confirm or deny reports by CNN that the Al Shaabab have approached the government for negotiations.

Mr Onyonka said the government has also all along known of the presence in Kenya of members of the group linked to the Al Qaeda terror organisation.

“We know that some Al Shaabab people have been staying here and it was a deliberate government decision to allow them to stay here, because we were engaged with them,” said Mr Onyonka.

He said they had been allowed to stay on because they would not be visiting violence on Kenyans and were at the same time involved in discussions with the government.

“The details are available (on) where they own their properties where their monies are…the Kenyan government knows. But even when that is an issue…the position the Kenyan government has had is that we should allow them to have room so we can negotiate with them,” he added.

Last week, Internal Security minister Orwa Ojodeh said in Parliament the operation in Somalia would be followed by a swoop in city estates where the Al Shaabab cells and sympathisers are suspected to be.

“You are aware of what is going on; this is like a big animal with a tail in Somalia. We are still fighting the tail while the head is resting here in Eastleigh,” said Mr Ojodeh.

Mr Onyonka said the operation in Somalia is justified as it would also hopefully result in the elimination of the militant group of Islamist fundamentalists.

“If you want to kill the snake and cut the tail it will still die, if you cut the tail it will still die…both ways you win,” he explained.

He said the government would have to be careful not to harass Kenyans of Somali origin as it goes about its operations to weed out Al Shaabab in Kenya.

Mr Onyonka said the government would confiscate the property of the Al Shaabab members and cautioned against ethnic profiling or the harassment of innocent Kenyans.

Kenya has asked the president of the Transitional Federation of Government to clarify a statement this week that suggested the Kenyan military is not welcome in that country.