Trend In Kenyan Violence Brings Up Difference Between Genocide And Ethnic Cleansing

Basically, one is an established international crime, while the other is a term presently in worldwide legal limbo. Ethnic cleansing is in the latter category.

That is the central issue currently pitching the USA's top African envoy/spokeswoman against the State Department's spokesman - Jendayi Frazer versus Sean McCormack.

In retrospect, this same political act/violence definition problem had been observed in Rwanda, Kosovo, Congo, Liberia, Nazi Germany, Sierra Leone, and other past conflict areas of the world.

The resultant dilly dallying has usually resulted in the rapid escalation of a really preventable tragedy. I guess the job of the War Crimes commission must be preserved?

How did all this 'ethnic cleansing in Kenya start? simply put: years of resentment, over an incumbent president from a minority tribe winning another term in office by a narrow margin under suspicious electoral ballot collating conditions, spilled over unto the streets.

The Kenyan violence brings out the fact that immigration issues have always caused problems between the original natives and subsequent settlers. This is usually heightened as the settlers seem to make better economic progress than the long-time natives. Pure jealousy and often murderous envy.

The same sentiment applies to Kenya. Kibaki from the 'alien' Kikuyu tribe is the incumbent and re-elected President from a formerly minority tribe, while the defeated Odinga is of one of the native tribes.

It is difficult to see how this conflict will end very soon because of the historical trend in the development African and Third World democratic traditions.

I recall that the first president of Zambia, Kenneth Kaunda, was barred in later years from contesting in the presidential elections because he was accused of not being a true Zambian because someone suddenly realized that his maternal family tree was rooted in and stemmed from outside the national borders.

Zimbabwe's, Sudan's, Ethiopia's, and South Africa's present-day political history are just a few of those that have echoed unique variations of the same theme about the relationship between political aspirations, immigration status and residency/citizenship laws.

The hope is that action would be faster this time around and that everyone would have learned a little from the comparative study of past human history. Of course, the UN already has its hands full in numerous commitments in other parts of the globe.