Kenya opposition leader urges Somalia pullout

NAIROBI (KON) - The leader of Kenya’s main opposition party has urged the Kenyan government to pull out the country's troops from neighboring Somalia.

News Keydmedia Online
6 June 2014

Raila Odinga, who leads the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD), made the appeal on Thursday during a surprise visit to Nairobi’s Eastleigh area, a mainly Somali neighborhood that has been recently the target of a massive police crackdown, during which thousands of people have been detained for security screening.

Speaking to thousands of residents of Eastleigh, Odinga decried what he described as “harassment of the Somali community by the government.”

Cheered as he spoke, Odinga said continued presence of Kenyan troops in Somalia was hurting Kenyans.

“It is high time the government evaluated whether or not there is any reason to still have our troops in Somalia,” Odinga said. "Does their continued stay in Somalia bring peace to our country?”

President Uhuru Kenyatta has repeatedly said that he has no intention to withdraw Kenyan troops from Somalia until they "accomplish their mission."

Although Kenyatta did not elaborate on what he meant by the mission that needs to be accomplished, Kenyan observers and military experts believe that the campaign would continue until the troops eliminate the threat of Somalia