Kenya in crisis: analysis around the web

Snip from an article on AllAfrica.com:

"It is the Kenyan People Who Have Lost the Election," headlined Pambazuka News in its special Kenya election edition on January 3.
"But the real tragedy of Kenya," the editorial continued, is that the political conflict is not about alternative political programmes that could address ... landlessness, low wages, unemployment, lack of shelter, inadequate incomes, homelessness, etc. ... [instead] it boils down to a fight over who has access to the honey pot that is the state. ...[citizens] are reduced to being just being fodder for the pigs fighting over the trough."
Commentaries of particular interest from the U.S.include an op-ed in the Washington Post by Caroline Elkins, "What's Tearing Kenya Apart? History, for One Thing," a statement by Africa Action stating that U.S.-Kenya policy should support "robust democratic processes" rather than be defined by "a narrow agenda of the war on terror and international business", and a statement by the Association of Concerned Africa Scholars highlighting "the role of the U.S. government -- far from a neutral player -- both before and after the elections" and the danger that U.S. involvement will be biased by its close military relations with the Kenyan government..

More on current events in Kenya at AllAfrica.com: Link 1, Link 2, Link 3. (via Ned Sublette)

Discussion

Take a look at this

#1 posted by Takuan , January 12, 2008 9:56 PM

Rwanda redux

#2 posted by Crash , January 13, 2008 2:22 AM

Xeni, what should we do about Kenya?

#3 posted by ill lich , January 13, 2008 6:54 PM

"[instead] it boils down to a fight over who has access to the honey pot that is the state. ...[citizens] are reduced to being just being fodder for the pigs fighting over the trough."

Wait, I thought this was bout Kenya, not the US?

#4 posted by fltndboat , January 13, 2008 8:13 PM

Global love is tough. Letting go of your personal power in severance of the magical getting it on stresses you. I am useless.

#5 posted by Kieran O'Neill , January 14, 2008 12:48 AM

I definitely do not think this is "Rwanda redux" - there's been some upheaval, and people have died, but it certainly isn't genocide, and doesn't look like it will end up that way.

For that matter, far worse has happened in Zimbabwe over the last decade or more - I guess we just notice Kenya because we're used to it being so stable.

As for helping out, I'm not too sure. There are various delegations in country trying to resolve things, but they're being manipulated by governmental spin doctors (see link below).

http://allafrica.com/stories/200801090371.html

Ultimately, it's international delegations like these that will help resolve things. If you want to help people in the short term, maybe you could donate to organisations like the Red Cross who are working to help victims of the election violence?