Our security organs should learn to use soft power in the war against terror

A Kenyan paramilitary officer asks members of the press to leave the entrance to the Kasarani football stadium in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, on April 8, 2014, where people of mainly Somali ethnicity rounded up during a police swoop in the city's Somali district of Eastleigh were being held. AFP PHOTO/ TONY KARUMBA

What you need to know:

  • World-beating Kenyan athletes can appeal to youths in neighbouring countries and even offer them hope through sports as alternative to joining terror networks.
  • Working with Muslim religious leaders, politicians and business people can help change the attitudes of Muslims who feel the government is targeting them, thereby improving the chances of government interventions in security issues succeeding.

The ongoing security police operations in Mombasa and Eastleigh, Nairobi, have raised serious questions.

Some Muslim leaders from political, business and religious circles have expressed disapproval of the operations, claiming the government is profiling Muslims in general and Somalis in particular following a spate of insecurity incidents linked to terrorism.

There are also complaints of discriminatory and inhuman treatment of suspects perceived to be “foreigners”, and it is not surprising that insecurity in the country – real or perceived – is having devastating effect on Kenya’s economy and foreign relations.

Last week, 18 chiefs of mission representing Kenya’s biggest multilateral partners – which include the United States, Britain, Germany, Japan, Canada, the European Union and IMF representatives – issued a bold warning to the government to tackle corruption which they linked with insecurity.

At some point, the government will have to use hard power in the fight against terrorism and insecurity. Even so, the question should not be whether or not to use hard power but rather how and when it should be used.

The reality is that Kenya’s military operations are overstretched, and with budget cuts and dwindling foreign aid supporting Kenyan soldiers in Somalia, it might not be enough to win the war on terrorism and insecurity.

We might then ask: is Kenya making positive inroads in unmasking terror networks through the use of hard power? And what is the government doing to convince tourists and foreigners that the country is safe?

We must remember that war on terrorism is a delicate balance that requires a clear strategy to help strengthen security operations. Certainly, targeting Muslims will backfire and reverse the gains already made.

Kenya must not forget that it has large populations of Muslims and it has neighbours like Somalia with predominantly Muslim populations. It is, therefore critical, not to discriminate against Muslims. Their rights must be protected for the sake of peace and co-existence as enshrined in the Constitution.

CHANGE ATTITUDES

Similarly, relationships with neighbours must be factored in the war against terrorism. Kenya must use its soft power or the power to influence at its disposal and strengthen its ties with Somalia and other neighbours.

Perhaps the government should consider investing in public diplomacy as a tool to reach audiences that can potentially be lured by Al-Shabaab or other terror networks.

World-beating Kenyan athletes can appeal to youths in neighbouring countries and even offer them hope through sports as alternative to joining terror networks. The government must recognise that the war on terror is about winning “hearts and minds”, and public diplomacy and soft power can offer answers to challenges in influencing foreign audiences.

Youth, regardless of their religious affiliation, are more likely to join terror networks and criminal activities due to lack of jobs than for religious reasons, and therefore the government must devise strategies that will ensure they are absorbed in income-generating activities. This will, in the long run, address insecurity.

Working with Muslim religious leaders, politicians and business people can help change the attitudes of Muslims who feel the government is targeting them, thereby improving the chances of government interventions in security issues succeeding.

For Kenya to be influential to the world, it must combine its soft power and its hard power supported by its military capabilities.

In fact, Kenyan military leaders, security operatives, diplomats, and politicians need to understand and employ the concept of smart power in foreign affairs: combining soft power with hard power.
For Kenya, it might mean using more soft than hard power to convince foreign partners to support its initiatives.

The monster that is terrorism cannot be defeated by lone-ranger and discriminatory tactics but rather by realising that interventions must target all stakeholders and potential recruits of terror networks.

Mr Okoth is a development practitioner and a communications consultant ([email protected])