« Cichlid Intelligence & Diversity | Main | Triskaidekaphobia »

May 12, 2005

Kenya and al-Qaida

Until quite recently, I did not have a very refined understanding of the geographic of Africa, especially Eastern Africa. I didn't quite realize how close countries like Kenya were to the Middle Eastern troubles. I assumed embassy bombings of the area were just because they were easy targets in third world countries, but I did make the connection that it's but a hop, skip and a jump from the terrorist hot spots we are generally familiar with. Somalia, Ethiopia and Sudan make up the northern border of Kenya - and that's practically the gateway to the Middle East. In fact, the northern half of Kenya is relatively unpopulated,and much is basically a no-man's land. It's not covered in guidebooks much, and travellers are highly discouraged from visiting these zones. Now the PM of Ethiopia is warning that al-Qaida is very active in Kenya's neighboring Somalia. What does this mean for travelers and trekkers in Eastern Africa, especially Kenya? The southern and southwestern corners have all the foreigners traveling through, being the most heavily populated area, near Lake Victoria.

Ethiopia's prime minister warned on Thursday of the danger posed by a "very active al-Qaida cell" in Somalia's capital and said a stable government is the best way to eliminate the terrorist threat in the chaotic Horn of Africa country.

Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, in an interview with The Associated Press days ahead of an election in which he is seeking a third consecutive term, said his government supported the Somali transitional government formed in neighboring Kenya last year and would do everything possible to help it take power and eliminate the terrorist threat.

"Wherever there is distress, wherever there is acute poverty, social dislocation, the potential for a terrorist state exists," Meles said. "We have a very active terrorist cell in Mogadishu, which has been involved in terrorist activities in Kenya."

Kenya has been hit twice in recent years by major terrorist attacks that killed hundreds. In 1998, the U.S. Embassy was destroyed by a car bomb, and another exploded outside a tourist hotel on Kenya's Indian Ocean coast in 2002.
Despite reports that the masterminds of both attacks — which were claimed by al-Qaida — fled to Somalia, most Somalis reject the charge that there country is a base for terrorists.

More at: Ethiopia: al-Qaida Operating in Somalia - Yahoo! News

I think I overreact in my concern for traveling there - but I'd rather be aware of the risks than do something foolish. Part of me wants the comfort of having a guide - someone who knows the area and generally will only expose me to as much as I can more than reasonably handle. But that's not seeing the real Africa, you know? Sitting on an English-speaking tour bus might be more comfortable, but it's certainly not more authentic. Now I see those same comforts as easy targets for terrorists - big, obvious, and on a predictable schedule. I want to have my freedom to make my own trek through Eastern Africa - and I like the idea of being unpredictible, without a set itenerary. However that makes it harder to track us down if something goes wrong, you know? Safety in numbers doesn't always apply anymore.

Then again, I'm not as crazy or die-hard as another trekker I know. He just walked across the desert region of the Kotikipi Plain of Kenya into Ethiopia (north of Lodwar) - alone - despite that being a vast empty area where the pastoral ethnic groups such as the Pokot, Turkana and Marakwet have regular conflicts, toting AK47s.

This morning, I rushed away from the police post with my thoughts focused on avoiding the heat. Yesterday, I walked without a guide and had no problems, and this morning the police let me go without a guide. Somehow, I assumed that it would all be safe. Suddenly, I really wished that I had a guide with me.

The Merile was unarmed, but he was stronger than I am. Plus it's his home turf. I certainly don't want to get into a fight with a nomad in the middle of his desert. I concede, and decide to give him a shirt.

...

He puts on the shirt and seems very proud of his acquisition. Then he craftily grabs the beads, which I had previously offered him, out of my pocket.

With my backpack released from his grasp, I continue on my way. The nomad follows me. He's a pain in the ass, constantly asking for money as we walk. The conversation isn't solely about money though, we share some stories through pantomime. He tells me one story where is fighting a Turkana. He motions that he was running zigzags as he was firing, and then shows me the scar where a bullet hit him. I guess that he killed other guy though, as he was the one telling the story.

He's an annoyance, constantly asking for money, but I quickly decide that I'm very glad to have him with me. We pass by several herders who are armed with AK47s. Any of them could have asked for my entire backpack and I would have had little choice in the matter. My "guide" talks with them and we continue on our way.

...

All in all, I think that I did pretty good. I had a run-in with a murderous bandit of the nomadic Merile tribe, and all he got was a dirty t-shirt, a string of beads and $0.30 in Kenyan change.

Read more from Adam at: Adam Katz - World Traveler (Geekeasy.com)

Posted by sorsha at May 12, 2005 4:06 PM