Today, February 14, 2011, is exactly 28 years since the horrific massacre that took place when the Kenyan security killed over 400 Somali men. Today, we are submitting a memo to the Kenya High Commission in Ottawa at 415 Laurier Avenue East Street from 11:00 am - 12:00 pm. This is to mark the 28th anniversary of the Wajir Massacre.
This act of genocide occurred in 1984 in Wagala near Wajir. The massacre itself occurred following the rounding up of five thousand Somali men and their removal to the Wagala air strip, while their homes were being burnt to the ground. The men were detained within a barbed wire enclosure over a four day period, forced to strip and denied food and water. The massacre has been devastating to the morale of Somalis, the majority of whom are too intimidated to take any action in case of further reprisals. To the Somalis, the Wajir Massacre is one of the gravest in a sad history of brutal massacres, including Malkameri in 1996, Garissa in 1980, Madogashe in 1982 and Bagala in 1989. Since none of these massacres has ever been investigated, the pattern of repression of the Kenyan Somali people continues.
Hundreds of families of victims of the Wajir Massacre are in the Bula Jogoo area of Wajir and are still in a state of destitution depending solely on relief aid. They have never been compensated for the massacre by the Kenyan government. At the time of the Wajir Massacre there was an international outcry and many western countries showed their concern and protested to the Kenyan government. Among them were Canada, Britain, United States of America, Sweden, Denmark, France, Germany, Norway, Finland, Australia, Austria, Ireland, Switzerland, Netherlands and Belgium. The Kenyan government has, for the first time, admitted that the horrific Wajir Massacre occurred sixteen years ago and that hundreds of ethnic Somalis were killed in the Wajir district in the northeastern province of Kenya during this massacre.
Soon after the independence on Dec 12, 1963 the Government of Kenya introduced an Emergency laws in North Eastern Province which unfortunately remain in place even today practically.
The Government of Kenya implemented a policy of economic, social and political repression in the region, thus subjecting the inhabitants to dire poverty and social decadency. As we write many people in North Eastern Province are dying as a result diseases and prolong droughts. The Government of Kenya continually committed and still commits ethnically motivated genocide against the people of North Eastern Province. The Garissa, Madogashe, Malkameri, Wajir and Bagala massacres that claimed thousands of lives are a concrete living testimony. In many ways, these massacre were carried out in a fashion that was in form and substance similar to the Nazis style of perfecting genocide against defenseless civilians. Although number of the victims in North Eastern Province remained a lot smaller than the Nazi victims, they are still lost human lives
One of these inhuman rules, which was an integral part of the colonial policy of divide and conquer, was to restrict the movement of different communities in this province. The freedom of movements of these communities was limited within smaller grazing areas. After independence all colonial rules were repealed except Northern and Eastern provinces inhabited by Somalis and Borans, and the right of movement of Kenyans was enshrined the constitution.
Today, we commemorate a black spot in the history of independent Kenya, when the government conspired and committed a massacre against its own people at Wagalla in Wajir County. Our country now has a new constitution and we pray that this new constitutional dispensation will guarantee basic freedoms and provide a relief to the victims of past atrocities and injustices. Wagalla massacre without doubt happened at hands of GOK. Some may argue about numbers, but Wagalla massacre is entrenched in the living memory of many a victim , and that the government is still in denial is a fact.
We remember tragic events of the Wagalla Massacre that happened 28 yrs ago to this date and remind the government of its obligations to its citizens, both living and dead.We would like to remind that that time is of the essence. As each year passes, the victims and witnesses are slowly dying without ever getting justice for the atrocity committed against them and their families. Similarly, as each year passes, and perpetrators pass on without retribution for the crimes they've committed against humanity.
The government's commissioning of the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission has been rejected by the victims and civil society as not credible. We urge the government to use this moment of the 28th anniversary of the commission of this crime and take this matter seriously. We ask the government reconstitute a credible commission to expeditiously bring the perpetrators of Wagalla to justice. We remind them that justice delayed is justice denied.
abdidadai2000@yahoo.com
Abdi Omar Chairman Kenya Somali Community of North America.
613 736 1789, 613 728 2355.
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