Ruto rallies meeting to reject terror state
What you need to know:
- He told delegates at a meeting in Nairobi that Al-Shabaab was seeking to establish in the Horn of Africa and Kenya a brutal regime similar to the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.
- According to Mr Ruto, Kenya Defence Forces has vanquished Al-Shabaab, which was now using radicalised Kenyan youths to attack soft targets, causing many deaths.
- United States undersecretary for civilian security, democracy and human rights Sarah Sewell told the delegates that the region must be proactive in fighting “violent extremism.”
Deputy President William Ruto on Thursday led security chiefs and other government officials in seeking international help to stop terrorists from creating their own state in the region.
He told delegates at a meeting in Nairobi that Al-Shabaab was seeking to establish in the Horn of Africa and Kenya a brutal regime similar to the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.
“Their aim is the establishment of a caliphate in Somalia and in large portions of the Horn of Africa, including in Kenya. No caliphate will be established in Kenya. Kenyans reject it and choose their open society and democracy,” said Mr Ruto.
He asked other countries to help counter the terrorists’ plans.
According to Mr Ruto, Kenya Defence Forces has vanquished Al-Shabaab, which was now using radicalised Kenyan youths to attack soft targets, causing many deaths.
The latest was on April 2, when the militants attacked Garissa University College, killing 148 people, a majority of them students.
More than 300 participants from 38 countries are attending the meeting, dubbed the Regional Conference on Countering Violent Extremism being held at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre in Nairobi.
United States undersecretary for civilian security, democracy and human rights Sarah Sewell told the delegates that the region must be proactive in fighting “violent extremism.”
“Becoming more proactive requires everybody to become part of the solution to the problem including the non-governmental organisations and the private sector,” she said.
The three-day meeting is among other things, expected to produce a common guide for identifying and rehabilitating radicalised youths before they are allowed back into public life.
Once adopted, the recommendations will be presented to the United Nations General Assembly in September.
