Abayomi Azikiwe, editor of the Pan-African News Wire, was interviewed on Press TV News Analysis program on the escalation of tensions between Israel, Gaza and Egypt. The program aired originally on August 19, 2011., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.
Mon Sep 30, 2013 2:27PM GMT
Interview with Abayomi Azikiwe
To watch this Press TV World News interview with Abayomi Azikiwe just
click on the website below:
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/09/30/326883/kenya-policy-on-somalia-may-change/
"I think there is going to be more debate inside of Kenyan politics about the ongoing occupation by the Kenyan defense forces of Somalia and this of course could lead to the remaking or reshaping of Kenyan policy towards Somalia.”
Press TV has conducted an interview with Abayomi Azikiwe, the editor of Pan-African News Wire, from Detroit about the a recent attack on a shopping mall in Kenya, in which a British woman known as the “white widow” has been identified as a main suspect.
The following is an approximate transcript of the interview.
Press TV: I’d like to get your thoughts on the flow of information regarding the white widow and her alleged role in the attack in the Westgate mall in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi?
Azikiwe: There are a number of unanswered questions in regard to the Westgate mall attack.
It was said initially that this same woman, Samantha Lewthwaite, had been killed in the attacks. Later on, we heard otherwise, that she was a major suspect in this operation that was carried out last weekend.
I think what has come out over the last several days involving the Kenyan government is the whole controversy over whether or not the government and the security forces had been warned prior to this attack.
There is one senator within the Kenyan parliament who says he was given information which was turned over to security forces about the potential for an attack and apparently this information was not acted upon.
The government in Kenya has been very secretive about the details particularly over the last day of this attack.
And I think we need more information before we can make a reasonable judgment about the role of this British woman. She also supposedly had residence in South Africa for a period of time as well; but I think we need more information before we can come up with some type of reasonable explanation in regard to her involvement in this incident.
Press TV: How would you describe the discrepancy about the information
that’s been divulged to the public?
Azikiwe: Well I think there is a lot at stake politically for the Kenyan government.
Kenya, of course, is a major destination for tourism and a lot of people who go to Kenya are from Western countries. The government just today issued a protest against the United States which had declared a travel warning for its nationals in regard to visiting Kenya.
Also there is a problem in regard to Kenya’s ongoing occupation of neighboring Somalia, which is the reason cited by al-Shabab for this military attack that began last weekend.
I think there is going to be more debate inside of Kenyan politics about the ongoing occupation by the Kenyan Defense Forces of Somalia and this of course could lead to the remaking or reshaping of Kenyan policy towards Somalia.
This is a situation that was inherited by the current President Uhuru Kenyatta who came in earlier this year against the political will of the United States and Britain. I think this is very important that we recognize the broader context under which this is taking place.
The previous government of President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga were the ones who actually pushed this occupation which the current government of Kenyatta and William Ruto of course are
living with today.
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