Posted: 12 Oct 2009 10:53 AM PDT by roxanne
And our task to prevent the genocide of the Samburu people has suddenly become much clearer and much, much harder.
The Kenyan English-language newspaper, The Daily Nation, reported today that “Kenya begins drilling for oil in two weeks.” And guess where? Yes, in the Samburu lands, specifically at Boghal near Isiolo. Isiolo is home to one of the politicians whose name is most frequently linked with backing the violence and theft against the Samburu people, not that the eagerly anticipatory article mentioned him or the violence.
The article did, however, name one major, non-Kenyan party involved in this search for black gold: the China National Off Shore Oil Corporation. China, which in the past year has been driving a highway through Samburu lands and towns; China, whose government has been entwining itself in African affairs for the past decade; China, whose population covets oil and the industry it drives… and China, which well knows how to enflame greed and entice others to do its dirty work.
KARE, the Kenya Aid and Relief Effort whose website this blog is part of, has been worried since last March, when police fired on Samburu from the sky and drove away their cattle, that oil and China lay behind that betrayal of trust. And we were right.
I want to be wrong. I want a peaceful Samburu, grass springing from the earth but nothing else. If the rains come, the grass will too, but now we have a much bigger fight on our hands.
To read the news for yourself, go to,
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