Kenyan President blames attacks on political rivals
Reuters
2014-06-18
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Kenyan security forces clear the streets after a wave of attacks that have killed around 65 since Sunday
The government usually blames Somalia's al Shabaab Islamist group for incidents like these
But this time president Uhuru Kenyatta says others are responsible.
(SOUNDBITE)(English) KENYAN PRESIDENT, UHURU KENYATTA, SAYING:
"This therefore, was not an Al Shabaab terrorist attack. Evidence indicates that local political networks were involved in the planning and execution of the heinous attacks. This also played into the opportunist networks of other criminal gangs."
By blaming politics Kenyatta could stoke ethnic tensions in a country where allegiances are often decided along such lines
After the 2007 presidential elections those tensions erupted into violent clashes that killed about 1,200 people
Those caught up in the latest attacks want the government to do more than just point the finger
(SOUNDBITE) (Swahili) DISPLACED WOMAN, MUPA DZ
The government usually blames Somalia's al Shabaab Islamist group for incidents like these
But this time president Uhuru Kenyatta says others are responsible.
(SOUNDBITE)(English) KENYAN PRESIDENT, UHURU KENYATTA, SAYING:
"This therefore, was not an Al Shabaab terrorist attack. Evidence indicates that local political networks were involved in the planning and execution of the heinous attacks. This also played into the opportunist networks of other criminal gangs."
By blaming politics Kenyatta could stoke ethnic tensions in a country where allegiances are often decided along such lines
After the 2007 presidential elections those tensions erupted into violent clashes that killed about 1,200 people
Those caught up in the latest attacks want the government to do more than just point the finger
(SOUNDBITE) (Swahili) DISPLACED WOMAN, MUPA DZ
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