Monday, November 14, 2011
Kenya's recent military involvement in Somalia seems to be fueling more negative perception, putting ethnic Somalis at risk of xenophobic attacks.
“I think Kenya should tread very carefully. They should have dialogue with the Somali population in this country, so that the security of both the Somali population and the larger population is in the hands of the community and the government,” political analyst Saleh Sheikh told Press TV.
Somali residents in Kenya are often harassed by security forces regardless of their status as citizens or legal refugees under International Law.
“This hate propaganda is made through social media, broadcasts and SMS text messages and could lead to xenophobic attacks,” says Kenya's National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) chairman, Mzalendo Kibunja.
Somalis living in Eastleigh, which has the largest Somali settlements in Kenya, are often accused of having al-Shabab ties.
Both Somali business and residential areas in Kenya alike, often bear the brunt of intensified security crackdowns taking place in Somalia.
Tension has been growing between the Somali government backed by Kenyan troops and al-Shabab fighters since they engaged in fierce battle over control of towns in south Somalia.
There are currently some 2.3 million ethnic Somalis living in Kenya, with a million Somali nationals living as refugees.