Kenyan police clash with al-Shabab in Garissa County

Kenyan police clash with al-Shabab in Garissa County

Al-Shabab has been intensifying attacks in Kenya

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Kenyan police have been involved in a fierce gun battle with militant Islamists in north-eastern Garissa County, leaving one officer wounded, a government spokesman has told the BBC.

The al-Shabab militants had ambushed the police near Yumbis town in Garissa County, Mwenda Njoka added.

He dismissed as propaganda al-Shabab's claim that at least 20 policemen were killed in the attack.

Al-Shabab is a Somalia-based group which has stepped up attacks in Kenya.

In April, it carried out a siege on Garissa University College and 148 people were killed.
'Vehicles burnt'

Last week, the militants briefly seized control of Yumbis, about 100km (62 miles) east of Garissa town, and warned residents not to work with the government.


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Kenyatta appears at ICC in Hague for landmark hearing

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A large crowd was waiting for Uhuru Kenyatta outside the court, as Anna Holligan reports

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Related Stories

• How does the International Criminal Court work?Watch
• Kenya violence: Survivors' tales
• Why are Kenyan leaders at The Hague?

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has appeared before the International Criminal Court (ICC) where he faces charges of crimes against humanity.

He is the first serving head of state to come before the court in The Hague.

He was called to appear at the ICC "status conference" when the prosecution said evidence needed to go ahead with a trial was being withheld.

The charges - which Mr Kenyatta denies - concern his alleged role in violence following the 2007 elections.

More than 1,000 people died in the aftermath of the poll.

Mr Kenyatta says the charges against him are politically motivated and insists that the case should be thrown out.

The prosecution accuses the Kenyan government of obstructing the investigation.

Packed gallery

The BBC's Anna Holligan in The Hague says there were chaotic scenes as Mr Kenyatta arrived at the ICC, where a large crowd was waiting.

The ICC wants him to explain allegations that evidence against him had been withheld by the Kenyan government - a claim rejected by Kenyan Attorney-General Githu Muigai, who appeared before the court on Tuesday.

At the scene: Anna Holligan, BBC News, The Hague

Uhuru Kenyatta appeared relaxed as the hearing got under way

Uhuru Kenyatta cuts a composed figure in court. He sits back, occasionally glancing at his "first family"' on the front row of the public gallery. He is wearing a patriotic bracelet in the Kenyan colours. Never has there been a more glamorous audience in attendance. Pink and yellow headscarves and gold earrings punctuate the mostly grey suited public space, bringing some colour to the dark period of Kenyan history that is the subject of this hearing.

The president temporarily relinquished power to come to The Hague. Nevertheless, his convoy received a presidential welcome. Flag-waving crowds surged as his police-escorted car pulled up. International TV crews jostled to get him in their frame.

This trial is testing the limits of international justice. The prosecution says Kenya is not co-operating by handing over evidence. Kenya says that if they do not have the evidence, the charges must be thrown out. The ICC was partly designed to demonstrate that even the most powerful leaders cannot be above the law. Regardless of whether Uhuru Kenyatta is guilty or innocent, one thing he has proved is that it is extremely challenging to prosecute a president.

Scores of Mr Kenyatta's supporters packed the public gallery as the hearing got under way.

Defence lawyer Steven Kay said Mr Kenyatta would not be making a statement. He said the government had co-operated with the prosecution requests where it was possible to do so.

The hearing was later adjourned.

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The prosecution has accused the Kenyan government of failing to hand over potentially crucial pieces of evidence, as Anna Holligan reports

ICC chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda, who is from The Gambia, said there was still a significant "body of evidence" against Mr Kenyatta.

The prosecution, which wants an indefinite adjournment, told the court it had phone data and nine witnesses who were willing to testify how Mr Kenyatta had funding links with the Mungiki sect which took part in the violence.

Fergal Gaynor, a lawyer for the victims, said they were entitled to know why witnesses for the prosecution had withdrawn from the case.

In September, the court postponed the trial after prosecutors said the Kenyan government had failed to deliver key documents.

Personal capacity

Deputy President William Ruto is acting president while Mr Kenyatta is at The Hague.

Supporters of President Kenyatta called on the ICC to drop the case

On Monday, the president again stressed his innocence, saying his conscience was clear.

In a speech to the Kenyan parliament, Mr Kenyatta said that he was going to The Hague in a personal capacity - not as president of the country - so as not to compromise the sovereignty of Kenyans.

No special arrangements have been made at the ICC. The main spokesperson for the court said that Mr Kenyatta would not be treated differently from any other accused person.

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What is the ICC and how does it work?

Earlier, former ICC chief prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo conceded that the trial "was not working well" but welcomed Mr Kenyatta's appearance as "showing African commitment to change".

Mr Kenyatta was elected in 2013, despite facing charges. Analysts said he turned the prosecution to his advantage, portraying it as foreign intervention in Kenya's domestic affairs.

Mr Kenyatta has accused the court of being biased against African leaders.

In 2009 the ICC also issued a warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir over alleged war crimes in Darfur, but he has not yet been arrested.

The violence after the 2007 poll left 1,200 people dead and displaced tens of thousands more

Presiding Judge Kuniko Ozaki from Japan opened Wednesday's hearing at the IC

William Ruto (waving) has been appointed acting president - he also faces charges at The Hague

Mr Kenyatta faces five charges relating to the ethnic massacres - the worst violence in Kenya since independence in 1963. Tens of thousands of people were displaced and Kenya's reputation for stability was tarnished.

Mr Kenyatta was a close ally of President Mwai Kibaki, who was declared the winner of the 2007 election. Mr Kibaki's rival, Raila Odinga, claimed the poll was marred by fraud.

The dispute took on an ethnic dimension, pitting members of the Kikuyu ethnic group of Mr Kenyatta and Mr Kibaki against other communities. Mr Kenyatta is accused of organising an ethnic Kikuyu gang, the Mungiki sect, to attack rival groups.

Deputy President Ruto also faces charges at The Hague, but he was on Mr Odinga's side during the violence. He also denies the charges.

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Nairobi:- THE chewing of miraa will be restricted to five hours a day if the national anti-drug body has its way.

Nairobi:- THE chewing of miraa will be restricted to five hours a day if the national anti-drug body has its way.


National Campaign Against Drug Abuse Authority director Mohamed Fazul has said they are in the process of drafting a law that seeks to regulate the chewing of the mild narcotic also known as khat.
He did not say how the law will be enforced.
According to Fazul, Nacada proposes that miraa chewing is restricted to between 5pm and 10pm.
“It is a drug with two active ingredients – cathine and cathinone,” said Fazul. “We are drafting a law to regulate its usage and consumption.”
He was speaking in a phone interview with the Star.
Reacting to the proposal, Nyambene Miraa Traders’ Association spokesman Kimanthi Munjuri said: “To seek to know who exactly is chewing miraa and at what time is not a problem as such. Even where miraa comes from, it is controlled. There is an unwritten rule in Meru, set by the council of elders, that chewing of miraa among the youths is not allowed before you are circumcised…also it is frowned upon when women chew miraa in this region.”
He welcomed Nacada’s proposal to regulate miraa use.
“Chewing miraa should be controlled. Our current problems [the ban of the miraa trade in the Western nations, most recently the UK] was brought about by lack of control, where people mostly of Somali origin used to chew miraa for days in the UK and then later complain that it is harming them health-wise,” Munjuri said.
“Everybody suffering from all manner of situations and drug abuse hides behind miraa. You find someone taking only one bundle the whole night, during which he adds consumption of other drugs like bhang, and then, because miraa is the one they are seen chewing or holding, their obviously visible drugged state is blamed on miraa,” he said.
Munjuri said the only recommendation they have for Nacada is to have the chewing time set for between 2pm to midnight and not between 5pm and 10pm as he had proposed.
But Changamwe MP Omar Mwinyi, who has intensified his campaign against the drug in his constituency, said restricting the sale and consumption of miraa is not enough.
He said miraa destroys families, especially in the Muslim community, and also eats into the economy.
“This should not be about regulation. It is supposed to be banned,” said Mwinyi on the phone.
Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya organising secretary Sheikh Mohamed Khalifa yesterday supported Mwinyi’s sentiments that the drug should be banned.
He said there is no need to regulate the sale and consumption of a drug “that has no benefit to the society”.

Source: The Star




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Moving beyond the ICC impasse

	humanitarian news and analysis a service of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Moving beyond the ICC impasse LONDON, 7 February 2014 (IRIN) - The International Criminal Court's (ICC) case against Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, long beset by controversies and delays, has heightened tensions between the ICC and the African Union (AU). But while dropping the case could alleviate friction, some say it may also erode the power of the court, which to date has only issued one judgement. At a status conference on 5 February, lawyers for President Kenyatta continued to pressure the ICC to drop its case, which was supposed to start on 5 February but was postponed for a fourth time last month. Prosecutors said a witness had withdrawn and requested more time to gather evidence. ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda is deciding whether the case against Kenyatta - who is charged with crimes against humanity for allegedly arranging murder, deportation or forcible transfer, rape, persecution, and other inhumane acts during Kenya's 2007-2008 post-election violence - should proceed. Originally, six men faced charges in the ICC case, but now there are only three. In addition to Kenyatta, Kenya's deputy president, William Ruto, and former radio personality Joshua Arap Sang are currently on trial before the Hague-based court. Bensouda said in January that a key prosecution witness was now unwilling to testify and that a second had confessed to giving false evidence. Calls for dismissal Intense pressure from Kenya and its allies - such as Rwanda - for the ICC to drop the cases has contributed to the souring of AU-ICC relations. In October 2013, the AU called for sitting heads of state to receive immunity from prosecution and threatened mass withdrawal from the ICC. The organization has also demanded that the case against Ruto, as well as another ICC case against Sudan's President Omar al Bashir, be deferred. "The AU would be pacified by the [Kenya] cases not proceeding. That's a fact," said Stella Ndirangu, programme manager for the Kenya section of the International Commission of Jurists. The mood was no more conciliatory at the latest AU summit in Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa, in late January. A final communiqué at the summit expressed "disappointment" that the Kenya cases were continuing and urged African ICC members to "comply with African Union decisions on the ICC and continue to speak with one voice." Stephen Lamony, senior advisor on the AU, UN and African situations at the Coalition for the International Criminal Court, said the collapse of the Kenyatta case would likely improve relations between Africa and the court. "Kenyatta makes sure that his issue is on the agenda of the African Union," said Lamony, who attended the 30-31 January summit to rally ICC support. "I think as long as the Kenyatta case is before the ICC, this tension between the court and Africa will continue." Greta Barbone, senior associate in the international criminal justice programme at international non-profit No Peace Without Justice, hopes the cases proceed. "Relations with the African Union are very much influenced by the Kenyatta and Ruto cases, but I really hope the cases can go ahead, because the best thing for Kenya would be to have fair trials and justice for the victims of the post-election violence." Richard Goldstone, a South African judge and former prosecutor at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, believes the ICC could be seen as weak if the Kenyatta case collapses. "But if that happened because of interference with witnesses, the blame couldn't be laid at the door of the ICC, particularly the prosecutor's office," he said. The office of the prosecutor was correct to ask for a postponement of the case, according to Barbone, because proceeding without sufficient evidence would be a risky strategy. "It's not the first case with which the prosecutor has had challenges with witnesses in Kenya, and it was a sound decision to ask for more time." Added Ndirangu: "More could be done by the office of the prosecutor. They need to get serious in terms of how they are managing these cases. They are allowing themselves to be bullied by all this power and shenanigans that have been marshalled by Uhuru and Ruto.. The way in which these cases are panning out, you could even doubt that the post-election violence happened." Hot and cold Relations started out well between Africa and the ICC, which was founded in 2002. The governments of the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Mali and Uganda all called on the institution to investigate crimes in their countries. Former prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo initiated cases in Kenya and Côte d'Ivoire, and the Security Council referred cases in Libya and Sudan. But by 2009 - around the time Bashir was indicted for war crimes in Darfur - the relationship between the ICC and the AU had soured. AU Chairman Jean Ping complained that all the indictments were for Africans and accused court officials of neo-colonialism. The 2011 arrest warrant for Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi only strengthened African resistance. Goldstone puts the change down to politics. "When it wasn't leaders [being indicted] there was full support," he told IRIN. "Once leaders started being targeted, the politics of the AU changed, and it's because of the people who run it. What is heartening is that all the threats of withdrawal haven't happened. "Also, there seems to be a disconnect between leaders who are protecting themselves and victims who want to see justice." But the ICC has also given its critics ammunition. It has issued just one judgment so far, a guilty verdict against Congolese militia leader Thomas Lubanga - a case that several times teetered close to collapse. Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui, who fought on the opposite side of Lubanga during the conflict in northeastern DRC, was acquitted in 2012. Poor investigations, as well as witness interference, uncooperative governments and other factors, have been a hindrance, with some cases failing to make it past the first layer of proceedings, the confirmation of charges hearing. Goldstone says many cases have taken too long to play out. "The court is moving at a snail's pace. The judges have been extremely slow. There is no reason that judgments should take months and months to come out," he said. Lubanga's trial began on January 2009, with the verdict delivered in March 2012. Germain Katanga, originally tried with Ngudjolo Chui for crimes in DRC before the cases were separated, has been on trial since November 2009, with a verdict - postponed from February - now due in March. The case against Jean Pierre Bemba, Congo's former vice-president, began on November 2010; the defence finished presenting its case last November. Focus on Africa The focus on African war crimes and defendants has irritated some, who point out that ICC investigations in countries including Afghanistan and Colombia have been ongoing for years with no action. In response, the court says that it can only intervene when the domestic authorities are unable or unwilling to prosecute. It says that in many cases under review, it is still assessing whether alleged perpetrators are being dealt with by their own countries' authorities. In Libya, for example, Abdullah al-Senussi, the former head of military intelligence and Gaddafi's brother-in-law, is accused of crimes at Abu Salim prison, including orchestrating the massacre of more than 1,200 prisoners in 1996. ICC judges decided last October that he could be tried in Tripoli because Libya is able and willing to carry out its own investigation. "I do think the complementarity principle works, and when there are genuine proceedings, the court shows that it is willing to work with countries to see whether national jurisdictions can do it," said No Peace Without Justice's Barbone. "In Kenya, we just didn't have that possibility, because there were no investigations or prosecutions of people who were most responsible." Goldstone admits he looks forward to seeing the ICC take on cases outside of Africa, but he doubts that will make much difference to its relationship with the AU. "If Colombia or Afghanistan suddenly came on board tomorrow, it's not going to cause a huge turnaround and suddenly there would be great support from the AU." A matter of politics But he added: "The real problem is the Security Council. There is no basis on which Syria and Sri Lanka shouldn't have been placed before the ICC, but that's the politics on the Security Council, and the court has to live with that." Lamony, of the Coalition for the International Criminal Court, said, "Political leaders in Africa should pressure those with the ability to do more in these situations, like the Security Council, rather than proffer the argument that because there are no investigations in those situations there should be no investigations elsewhere." Court watchers, like Elizabeth Evenson, a senior counsel in the international justice programme at Human Rights Watch, insist that the ICC is responsive, citing a decision by judges that Ruto did not have to attend the vast majority of his trial. She says that the ICC will only succeed by ignoring politics and doing its job. "The takeaway here should not be that when the court doesn't have support to do cases against high-level accused in countries that are capable of mounting a political assault, then retreat and do lower-level cases only," said Evenson. "The takeaway is that the ICC's mandate is to do these big cases and how do we get there?" lc/aj/rz ICC - for and against For Botswana has been the court's strongest supporter on the continent, refusing to back AU anti-ICC resolutions. President Ian Khama is on the record saying victims of war crimes need justice. West Africa has also showed some support, with Côte d'Ivoire, Mali and Senegal and all said to be irritated with Kenya's strong-arm tactics within the AU. Against Rwanda leads the charge against the ICC and has taken a highly critical position, with President Paul Kagame calling it fraudulent. Rwanda, however, did facilitate the transfer of ICC indictee Bosco Ntaganda to the Hague. Kenya's parliament voted to pull out of the ICC; Kenyatta and Ruto, meanwhile, have led a determined campaign to discredit the court. The ICC has alleged witness intimidation and lack of cooperation from Kenya. Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni enthusiastically greeted the news that ICC prosecutor Ocampo had opened its first ever cases against the rebel Lord's Resistance Army in 2004. Relations have long since deteriorated, with Museveni now one of the court's loudest critics. Sudan's Bashir is no fan of the ICC - not surprising as he is wanted by the court for war crimes in Darfur. South Africa had previously supported the ICC, advising Bashir to stay away from President Jacob Zuma's inauguration, suggesting he would be arrested if he came. However, times have changed and it is now firmly in Kenya's camp. On the Fence Nigeria's position is not fixed. It has cooperated with the ongoing ICC investigation into Boko Haram, but observers doubt the goodwill would continue if the prosecutor targeted government troops. Read report online

4 Somalis charged with aiding Westgate Mall attack

4 Somalis charged with aiding Westgate Mall attack


The Associated Press

Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2013 | 12:19 a.m.

Authorities in Kenya have charged four Somali nationals with offensives related to September's terrorist attack on Westgate Mall that killed 67 people.


A court ordered the four men _ Mohamed Ahmed Abdi, Liban Abdulla Omar, Hussein Hassan Mustafah, and Aden Abdikadir Ibrahim _ imprisoned until a court hearing next week.

Among the charges were harboring a fugitive and illegally registering as a Kenyan.

Authorities have detained dozens of people in the wake of the four-day mall siege, but had not said any suspects were directly related to the attack. It's unclear how many arrests have been made.

The Somali militant group al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack and said it was in retaliation for Kenyan troops' deployment in southern Somalia.




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Wefti ka socda Baarlamaanka Kenya Oo Booqasho ku yimid Somaliland

 Wefti ka socda Baarlamaanka Kenya Oo Booqasho ku yimid Somaliland

Kuji halkan sidaad u dhegeysato:

http://www.somaliland.org/2013/11/06/dhegayso-wefti-ka-socda-baarlamaanka-kenya-oo-booqasho-ku-yimid-somaliland/

HARGEYSA (Somaliland.Org)- Wefti ka socda Baarlamaanka iyo dawladda Kenya ayaa socdaal shaqo ku yimid dalka,waxaana madaarka ku soo dhaweeyay xildhibaanno ka tirsan Golaha Wakiiladda Somaliland oo uu horkacayay Xildhibaan Axmed Yaasiin Sh. Cali Ayaanle.

Xildhibaan Axmed Yaasiin Sh. Cali Ayaanle oo ka hadlay weftigan ayaa sheegay in socdaalkoodu la xidhiidho sidii loo sii adkayn lahaa xidhiidhka ka dhaxeeya Somaliland iyo Kenya, isla markaana uu qaadan doonto booqashadoodu muddo sadex maalmood ah isla markaana ay booqan doonaan qaar ka mid ah magaalooyinka dalka,kulamana la yeelan doonaan Madaxweynaha Somaliland iyo masuuliyiin kale oo ka mid ah Goleyaasha qaranka.
Somaliland.Org/Hargeysa

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Kenyan army admits soldiers looted mall

Kenyan army admits soldiers looted mall

Army chief names two soldiers found with mobile phones and cameras apparently stolen during deadly Westgate siege.


Politicians who investigated the looting allegations had said troops did not steal anything [GETTY]


After previously saying Kenyan soldiers only took water from Nairobi's Westgate shopping centre during a deadly siege, the head of the army now says his men looted a variety of items.

General Julius Karangi identified the looters as Victor Otieno and Victor Ashiundu.

He said the two soldiers were found with mobile phones, cameras and chargers that were stolen from the shopping centre during the siege, which left 67 people dead.

"Discipline is our core driving point and we are not playing with this issue," he said. "That is why we have taken action on these soldiers. Two of them have been jailed and dismissed while a third one is under probe."

The attack was the largest in Kenya since the 1998 bombings by al-Qaeda of the US embassy in Nairobi, the capital.

The Somali group al-Shabaab claimed responsibly for the attack, saying it was in retribution for Kenya's military involvement in Somalia, which began in October 2011.

Security camera video

Two weeks ago, a security camera video seen by the Associated Press news agency showed men in fatigues walking out of the Westgate holding plastic bags filled with unknown items.

Others looked behind counters as they moved into the shopping centre.

Kenya's security forces denied any wrongdoing and politicians who investigated the soldiers said they had stolen nothing.

Many questions, including what caused a part of the mall to collapse, remain unanswered more than a month after the attack. Kenyan officials have urged patience, saying they need more time to investigate the scene.

Local and foreign investigators have since been digging through the rubble for evidence, and at least four bodies believed to be those of the attackers have been retrieved.

Suspects in custody

Ndegwa Muhoro, Kenya's director of criminal investigations, said on Tuesday that five suspects were in custody and that two other suspects believed to have played a role in the attack were still at large.

He identified the wanted suspects as Kenyan national Abdikadir Haret Mohamed, who also is known as
Mohamed Hussein, as well as a Somali national named Adan Dheq.

Dheq also is known as Hussein Abdi Ali or Abdulahi Dugon Subow.

The two suspects owned the Mitsubishu salon car registration that police seized outside the shopping centre, nearly a week after the attack.

Police found explosives and weapons inside the car, he said.


Source:
Agencies





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Norway Investigates Possible Assailant in Kenya Mall Siege

Norway Investigates Possible Assailant in Kenya Mall Siege


Associated Press

Video of Nairobi Mall Shooting: Surveillance footage of the Kenyan shopping mall attack last month shows militants firing weapons and terrified shoppers running for cover.
By HENRIK PRYSER LIBELL and NICHOLAS KULISH



LARVIK, Norway — The trail in the investigation of the deadly attack on a Kenyan shopping mall last month leads all the way to Scandinavia, where the Norwegian police have identified a man who may have been among the assailants.


Multimedia
Photographs
Inside Nairobi’s Devastated Westgate Mall

Investigators are questioning relatives and friends of Hassan Abdi Dhuhulow, 23, a Norwegian citizen born in Somalia, to try to determine whether he was one of the four militants captured on surveillance footage inside the mall in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, calmly killing shoppers on a Saturday afternoon.

His sister, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said in an interview here in Larvik, where Mr. Dhuhulow grew up, that officers from the Norwegian security police had asked her whether her brother had placed calls from Nairobi, including from the Westgate mall, during the siege. She said that he had not and that the family was unaware of any role he might have played in the attack.

“My mother and father and me, we don’t even know if he is dead or alive,” she said. “We are waiting for the whole issue to become clearer.”

A spokesman for the Norwegian Police Security Service, Martin Bernsen, said investigators were also unsure whether Mr. Dhuhulow was still alive. Several explosions and a fire at the mall have made it hard to distinguish between the remains of the victims and those of the attackers. The authorities have been unable thus far to identify any of the militants among the bodies pulled from the rubble.

Johansen Oduor, the chief Kenyan government pathologist, said that remains believed to belong to three of the attackers had been pulled from the rubble on Thursday and taken to the Nairobi City Mortuary, but that identification would probably require advanced forensics, including DNA testing. “The bodies are charred,” Dr. Oduor said. “There’s no face. There’s no clothes.”

“There are body parts,” he said, “and with body parts it’s difficult to tell” even how many attackers there were.

The remains were recovered next to AK-47 rifles, the same kind of firearms the attackers were seen carrying in footage from security cameras in the mall. Kenyan security forces do not use that make of rifle. “If you are found next to an AK, most likely you are one of the attackers,” Dr. Oduor said.

A man with the same name as Mr. Dhuhulow was arrested in Somalia in connection with the murder of a radio journalist but was freed by a military tribunal for lack of evidence in March.

In 2009, Mr. Dhuhulow began going on what his sister called “long vacations” to Somalia. Contact with the family was sporadic, and she could not remember whether she had last spoken to him last year or the year before. “My brother leads a different life than me,” she said.

A family member told the BBC that he had called this summer and said he was in trouble.

The Norwegian Police Security Service said in a statement last week that it had received information that a Norwegian citizen of Somali origin may have been involved in “the planning and execution of the attack” in late September, when militants stormed the mall and killed more than 60 men, women and children. The Norwegians sent investigators to Nairobi to work with Kenyan security services on the investigation.

The Somali militant group known as the Shabab has claimed responsibility for the assault. The Kenyan authorities initially said 10 to 15 assailants had been involved. Officials with knowledge of the investigation now say the number was no more than six and may have been as few as the four captured on the surveillance tapes.

Kenyan officials released four names, but none of them was Mr. Dhuhulow’s; officials with knowledge of the investigation said later that the released identities were believed to be noms de guerre, not birth names.

As recently as last week, investigators were still referring to the attackers as “pink shirt, white shirt, black shirt, blue shirt,” based on the clothes they were seen wearing in surveillance footage. Mr. Dhuhulow is believed to be the militant in the black shirt who was filmed in a grocery store, his left pant leg soaked in blood.

Norway has increasingly come into focus as investigators from Kenya, the United States, Norway and elsewhere work to piece together the Shabab’s international network. Navy SEALs staged an unsuccessful raid in the Somali coastal town of Baraawe this month to try to capture a Shabab planner, Abdikadir Mohamed Abdikadir, also known as Ikrima. Mr. Abdikadir is believed to have lived in Norway as an asylum seeker between 2004 and 2008.

“When we investigate one Norwegian involved, we are interested in his connections,” Mr. Bersen said.

More and more video footage of the attack has leaked out in the weeks since the siege ended. Disturbing new clips released on Thursday showed terrified shoppers running for their lives while the killers stalked them, leaving victims in pools of blood on the mall floors.

Mr. Dhuhulow’s sister said the police believed that he had called the family from inside the mall, a version of events she contested. “They think so because it said so in some Kenyan newspaper,” she said. “They do not have this information confirmed. He certainly did not call anyone in the family; we would have known if he did.”

Larvik is a small city on the Norwegian east coast south of Oslo, with around 43,000 residents. Mr. Dhuhulow attended Thor Heyerdahl High School here until 2009, according to Stine Indhal, an administrator at the school, concentrating on natural sciences and mathematics.

Norway’s TV2 reported that Mr. Dhuhulow was active in an online forum linked to the Shabab and posted photographs of “martyrs” killed in Bosnia. On one site, TV2 reported, he used a suicide bomber as his profile picture.

The local newspaper Ostlandsposten quoted an unnamed former classmate as saying that in high school he was surfing “odd Web sites,” including ones about “liquidating” American soldiers.

The newspaper reported that several former classmates recognized him in the video footage from both his gait and his hand gestures. “I remember him as fanatical when it came to Islam,” a classmate told the newspaper. “I remember him reading a lot of Web sites about Allah and about his religion.”

The Norwegian state broadcaster NRK quoted police sources as saying that the Police Security Service had kept track of Mr. Dhuhulow since high school and that he was in contact with central figures of a Norwegian-based Islamist group, Profetens Ummah, or the Prophet’s Ummah.

Kristina Sandbrekkene Olsen, 22, who went to the school at the same time as Mr. Dhuhulow but did not remember him specifically, said she had many Muslim friends from Chechnya and Kosovo as well as Somalia. “Terrorism was never a topic among any of us, and religion wasn’t a big subject, either,” Ms. Olsen said.

According to his sister, Mr. Dhuhulow stayed in touch with the family in Norway only occasionally after moving to Somalia. “It’s still hard to believe,” she said. “I can’t bear the thought of this actually being true. It’s just too much come to terms with.”

Henrik Pryser Libell reported from Larvik, and Nicholas Kulish from Nairobi, Kenya.

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Kenya attack: Westgate mall bodies 'probably gunmen'

Kenya attack: Westgate mall bodies 'probably gunmen'



The BBC's Gabriel Gatehouse: "It's still not clear how many of them were killed and how many escaped"

Kenya attack
'I played dead'
Slideshow: Mourning
Unanswered questions
What we know

Two charred bodies pulled from Kenya's Westgate shopping centre on Thursday are "highly likely" to be two of the attackers, an MP has told the BBC.

Ndung'u Gethenji, chairman of the committee investigating the attack, said AK47 rifles used by the militants were found next to the bodies.

The authorities will now conduct forensic tests on the bodies.

At least 67 people died when suspected al-Shabab militants stormed the Nairobi shopping centre on 21 September.

The attack sparked a four-day siege in which large parts of the shopping centre were destroyed.

The Kenyan authorities have released the names, or nicknames, of four suspects in the attack, but have given few other details.

The Kenya Red Cross lists 23 people as still missing.

Mr Gethenji said the bodies recovered on Thursday were likely to be militants because the army does not use AK47s.

He said another body recovered from the rubble was likely to be a soldier.

It is still not clear whether some of the attackers might have escaped, or even how many attackers there were.

Officials initially said 10 to 15 gunmen were involved, but CCTV footage appears to show only four militants.

Norwegian connection

The BBC's Newsnight programme has revealed that one of the suspected attackers is a 23-year-old Somalia-born Norwegian national, Hassan Abdi Dhuhulow.
Continue reading the main story
Suspected attackers
On 22 September Somali militant group al-Shabab says it carried out the attack
Officials initially said 10 to 15 attackers were involved, but CCTV shows only four men
Authorities release the names or nicknames of four suspects they say were killed in the siege: Abu Baara al-Sudani, Omar Nabhan, Khattab al-Kene and Umayr;
BBC Newsnight names one suspect as Hassan Abdi Dhuhulow, a 23-year-old Norwegian national
Heroes of attack
Victims of attack

His family fled to Norway in the 1990s, but he returned to Somalia in 2009 and allegedly joined the Somali militant group.

Sources in al-Shabab have told the BBC Somali Service that Dhuhulow attended a training camp in El Bur in central Somalia, one of the militants' main bases.

The sources said Dhuhulow took part in many al-Shabab operations in Mogadishu and Kismayo and was well-known in jihadist circles.

Journalist Zubayr Roble in Oslo told the BBC that Dhuhulow frequented the Towfiq Mosque in the Norwegian capital.

Mr Roble said Somalis at the mosque for Friday prayers were in shock about the revelations and anxious over the possible implications the case could have for the Somali community in Norway.

Martin Bernsen, an officer in Norway's Security Service, told the BBC's World At One programme that Norwegian authorities had opened an investigation into the involvement of a Norwegian citizen in the attack "about one week ago".

"We are trying to find out his role and what his connections are. We don't know if he alive or if he is dead."

When asked if the authorities had previously been aware of any previous similar activity among Somalis in Norway, Mr Bernsen said; "It's not the Somalis we're worried about, it's the criminal element.

"We are aware that there are some activities. We have challenges in Norway regarding both al-Shabab and al-Qaeda. Al-Shabab was first known in Norway in 2007 when we investigated money transfer to al-Shabab".

Mr Bernsen said Norwegian authorities were also concerned about people travelling to "conflict areas", including Syria and Somalia, particularly in the past year.

Uganda alert

The BBC's Will Ross in Nairobi says Kenyans still feel there are a lot of unanswered questions, and will be shocked if it turns out that just four gunmen caused such havoc.

The Somali militant group al-Shabab said its members staged the attack in response to Kenya's army carrying out operations on Somali territory.

There are about 4,000 Kenyan troops in the south of Somalia, where they have been fighting the militants since 2011.

Uganda also has troops in Somalia, and the authorities have issued an alert and stepped up security after the US embassy warned of reports of a possible "Westgate-style attack" in Kampala.

The Ugandan police said in a tweet: "Stay alert and watch each other's steps and activities, as we are still threatened by terror."

Al-Shabab has carried out attacks in Kampala before, most notoriously a double suicide-attack that killed more than 70 people in 2010.

Meanwhile, several British Muslims have been put under police protection because of a "credible threat" against them.

Al-Shabab militants apparently singled out Mohammed Ansar and other Muslim commentators in a video that condemned those who spoke out against extremism.

The Islamist group, which is believed to have between 7,000 and 9,000 fighters, controls large parts of Somalia.

Al-Shabab is fighting to create an Islamic state in Somalia and is banned as a terrorist group by both the US and the UK,



CCTV shows the gunmen around the shopping mall




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Kenya mall attackers talked on cell phone prayed between shooting

Westgate Mall terrorists were relaxed as they went about killing

Kenya military names Westgate mall attack suspects

Kenya military names Westgate mall attack suspects



New CCTV footage shows armed men carrying weapons and searching areas leading off a storeroom

Kenya attack
'I played dead'
Slideshow: Mourning
Somalia and Kenya: Blood brothers
Kenyans united

Four men believed to have been involved in the deadly shopping centre attack in Nairobi last month have been named.

The Kenyan military said Abu Baara al-Sudani, Omar Nabhan, Khattab al-Kene and Umayr - shown in new CCTV footage - were killed during the standoff.

Kenya said previously 10-15 militants had been involved, but the police chief says the figure may now be four to six.

The al-Shabab group said it carried out the attack on the Westgate mall on 21 September, leaving at least 67 dead.

The al-Qaeda-linked group said the attack was in retaliation for Kenya's military involvement in Somalia.Too early?

The naming of the men came as CCTV footage was aired showing four attackers calmly walking through a room in the mall holding machine guns.

Kenya Defence Forces spokesman Maj Emmanuel Chirchir told Reuters news agency: "I confirm these were the terrorists; they all died in the raid."

Kenya: Major attacks
1998: US embassy in Nairobi bombed, killing 224 people - one of al-Qaeda's first international attacks
2002: Attack on Israeli-owned hotel near Mombasa kills 10 Kenyans; simultaneous rocket attack on an Israeli airliner fails
2011: Suspected al-Shabab militants raid Kenyan coastal resorts and a refugee camp, targeting and kidnapping foreigners
2011: Kenya sends troops into Somalia to tackle al-Shabab
2011-13: Numerous grenade attacks near Somali border and in Nairobi
How the attack happened
The victims
Horror and heroism

Reuters quoted Maj Chirchir as saying that al-Sudani was an "experienced fighter" from Sudan and was believed to be the leader of the group.

Maj Chirchir said Nabhan was a Kenyan of Arab origin and al-Kene a Somali linked to al-Shabab. Further details about Umayr had not yet been verified, he said.

Kenyan police chief David Kimaiyo told Kenya's KTN television station it was now believed that four to six gunmen had carried out the attack, not 10-15.

"None of them managed to escape from the building after the attack," he said.

Kenya had earlier said five attackers were killed in the security operation and that nine people were in custody.

The BBC's Gabriel Gatehouse in Nairobi says the latest CCTV footage is from a limited part of the complex and, with some eyewitnesses reporting a two-pronged attack, it is too early to say definitively how many gunmen were in the building.

In addition to the 67 people killed in the attack, a further 39 are still missing, according to the Kenyan Red Cross.

Al-Shabab is banned as a terrorist group by both the US and the UK and is believed to have between 7,000 and 9,000 fighters.

Its members are fighting to create an Islamic state in Somalia.

About 4,000 Kenyan troops were sent to Somalia in October 2011 to help pro-government forces end two decades of violence, with clan-based warlords and Islamist militants all battling for control of the country.

On Saturday, Islamist fighters in southern Somalia said Western forces had launched a night-time raid on one of their bases.

No-one has admitted the attack. US and French special forces have carried out raids in Somalia in recent years.

It is not clear whether the raid was linked to Westgate.

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Revealed: suspected leader of Kenya terror attack

Revealed: suspected leader of Kenya terror attack


JAMAL OSMANReporter


Exclusive: Channel 4 News learns the alleged leader of the Nairobi shopping mall attack was born a Christian in Kenya and is a former member of the country's special forces.


Multiple sources from within Somalia have told Channel 4 News the identity of the man who led the group behind the attack on Nairobi's Westgate shopping centre.

According to sources connected to al-Shabaab, his Jihadi fighting name is Omar or Umayr.

Omar, who is believed to have been killed in this week's siege, was a Kenyan national, born to a Christian family from Nairobi. He converted to Islam and was also a former member of Kenya's special forces.

Umayr is understood to have left Kenya for Somalia in 2005, where he joined the Kamboni militant Islamist group. Kamboni later joined with al-Shabaab.

Sources say Umayr used to teach al-Shabaab fighters martial arts and boxing at a training camp in Somalia. They say he fell out with leadership because they thought he lacked ambition.

Second man


A second man been named by Channel 4 News sources.

Known as Khadhab, he is a Somali national who worked in an Islamic bookshop in the Nairobi suburb of Eastleigh. He was arrested and imprisoned in Somalia, and it is alleged he was tortured by the CIA while in custody there.

When he was released, sources say, he crossed over into al-Shabaab territory.

The Kenyan government has not yet officially confirmed the identities of any of the attackers.

On Thursday, Interpol issued a "red notice" against Samantha Lewthwaite at the request of the Kenyan authorities. Though the red notice did not refer to the Westgate attack, it has been speculated that Lewthwaite, the wife of 7/7 London bomber Germain Lindsay, may have been involved in the attack.

A spokesman for Al-Shabaab earlier told Channel 4 News that the attack was an "offical operation", planned and carried out by al-Shabaab leadership.

Sixty-seven people are confirmed dead following the four-day siege, but that death toll is expected to rise.
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Nairobi attack: Kenya's President Kenyatta says siege over

Nairobi attack: Kenya's President Kenyatta says siege over-bbc



President Uhuru Kenyatta: "We have shamed and defeated our attackers"

Kenya attack
Battle on Twitter
Kenya's balancing act
How does al-Shabab work?
What we know

The four-day siege involving suspected Islamist militants at Nairobi's Westgate shopping centre is over, Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta says.

Five attackers were shot dead by troops and 11 suspects were in custody, he said in a TV address to the nation.

Kenya has "shamed and defeated our attackers" but the "losses are immense", he said, confirming that 61 civilians and six soldiers had died.

Three days of national mourning have been declared, starting on Wednesday.

There was no air, no light and no water - we just tried to stay as quiet as possible in the hope they wouldn't find us”Sonia Hanspaul Vijen
Eyewitness accounts

President Kenyatta said that several bodies - including those of "terrorists" - were thought to be trapped under rubble after three floors of the building collapsed following a blaze on Monday.

Some 175 people were injured in the attack; 62 people remain in hospital and many others are being treated for shock and are undergoing counselling.

"I promise that we shall have a full accountability for the mindless destruction, deaths, pain, loss and suffering we have all undergone as a national family.

"These cowards will meet justice, as will their accomplices and patrons, wherever they are," he said.

At least 18 foreigners are among the dead, including six Britons, as well as citizens from France, Canada, the Netherlands, Australia, Peru, India, Ghana, South Africa and China.

Continued threat

The militants stormed the Westgate centre on Saturday, throwing grenades and firing on shoppers and staff.

Somali Islamist group al-Shabab said it had carried out the attack in retaliation for Kenyan army operations in Somalia.

The president said he could not confirm reports that a British national and two or three US citizens were involved in the attacks, but he said forensic experts were carrying out tests to ascertain their nationalities.


In an interview with the US TV programme PBS Newshour, Kenya's Foreign Minister Amina Mohamed said the Americans were 18 or 19 years old, of Somali or Arab origin.

Her remarks have fuelled media speculation about the possible involvement of Samantha Lewthwaite, the widow of one of the men who carried out attacks on London's transport system on 7 July 2005.
Continue reading the main story
Al-Shabab militia

Name means "The Youth" in Arabic
Controls large areas of Somalia
Formed as a radical offshoot of the Union of Islamic Courts in 2006
Include foreign jihadists
Has launched cross-border raids into Kenya, Uganda
Estimated to have 7,000 to 9,000 fighters
Announced merger with al-Qaeda in 2012
Q&A: Who are Somalia's al-Shabab?
Battle on Twitter

But a Twitter post from al-Shabab on Tuesday evening dismissed claims that women were involved in the attack. The group said it "categorically" denied involvement of any woman".

The group said: "We have an adequate number of young men who are fully committed and we do not employ our sisters in such military operations."

President Barack Obama called the events in Nairobi a "terrible outrage" and said the US was providing all the co-operation it could to Kenya.

Somali Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon said those behind the attacks "must be held accountable."

Al-Shabab, which is linked to al-Qaeda, has repeatedly threatened attacks on Kenyan soil if Nairobi did not pull its troops out of Somalia.

There are about 4,000 Kenyan troops in the south of Somalia as part of an African Union force supporting Somali government forces.

Al-Shabab is fighting to create an Islamic state in Somalia.

Despite being pushed out of key cities in the past two years, it remains in control of smaller towns and large swathes of the countryside.

UN special representative for Somalia Nicholas Kay called on Tuesday for a fresh surge in African troops to Somalia to counter an estimated 5,000 al-Shabab fighters.

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The Somaliland Government condemns the terrorist attack at Nairobi’s Westgate Mall

The Somaliland Government condemns the terrorist attack at Nairobi’s Westgate Mall

The Somaliland Government condemns the terrorist attack at Nairobi’s Westgate Mall, and sends its condolences to the nation and people of Kenya

Yesterday, in a public message of support and solidarity with the people and government of Kenya, Minister of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation of Somaliland Mohamed Behi Yonis issued the following statement via BBC Somali Radio:

“The Somaliland government condemns in the strongest terms the hideous and intolerable acts that occurred in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, and we fully deplore the horrific death and violence brought upon these innocent people, including women and children.”

“We send our deepest prayers and sympathies to the families of those who lost their lives and others in Kenya affected by the tragedy, and wish them endurance and faith during these trying times.”

Somaliland, as a long-time partner and ally of Kenya’s, has also relayed its continued commitment to supporting the efforts of Kenya and other members of the international community to bring peace and combat terrorism throughout the region.

Ahmed Yusuf Elmi (Sudi)

Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation







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Updated Photos: Deadly terrorist attack at Nairobi mall (warning, graphic content)

Updated Photos: Deadly terrorist attack at Nairobi mall (warning, graphic content)

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Muslim leaders come out against the Westgate Mall attack

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Liiska Magacyada Dhalinyaro Somaliya Oo Al-Shabaab Baahiyeen,Sheegeena Inay Ka Qeyb Qaadanayaan Hawlgalka Lagu Qabsadey West-Gate Mall – Nairobi Oo Weli Socda.

Liiska Magacyada Dhalinyaro Somaliya Oo Al-Shabaab Baahiyeen,Sheegeena Inay Ka Qeyb Qaadanayaan Hawlgalka Lagu Qabsadey West-Gate Mall – Nairobi Oo Weli Socda.

Liiska magacyada Dhalinyaro Somaliya oo Al-shabaab baahiyeen.sheegeena inay qeyb ka ahaayeen hawlgalka lagu qabsadey West-gate Mall – Nairobi oo weli socda.

Nairobi-(Qaran-news)-Xarakada Al-Shabaab ayaa boggay ku leedahay Twitter-ka soo dhigay magacyada 9 ruux oo ay sheegeen inay ka mid yihiin Xoogaga ka qeyb qaadanaya hawl-galka maalintii labaad ka socda Suuqa Ganacsiga ee Westgate Mall ee magaalada Nairobi.


9 Ruux ee somalilada ah oo u badan dhalinyaro ayaa siday sheegeen Al-shabaab ka kala yimi dalalka reer galbeedka sida Mareykanka, Canada, Britain iyo Finland, iyo qaar kale oo ka kala yimid Soomaaliya, Somaliland iyo Kenyaba.

Magacyada ayaa intay mid mid u soo dhigayeen si lama filaan ah looga xidhay Barahooda Twitterka, labada barood oo cinwaankooda kala ahaa HSM_Press2 iyo HSM_Press Office

Hadaba Liiska Magacyada la soo dhigay Barta Twitter-ka Al-shabaab ka hor inta aan la xidhin bartooda sidan u qornaa:

Ahmed Mohamed Isse 22 y.o native, from saint paul minnesota,

Abdifatah Osman Keenadiid. 24 y.o from minneapolis

Gen Mustafe Noorudiin. 27 y.o from kansas city. MO

Qasim Said Mussa 22 y.o garissa KE.

Ahmed Nasir Shirdoon 24 y.o from london UK

Zaki Jama Caraale 20 y.o from hargeisa somalia

Ismael Guled 23 y.o from helsinki finland.

Sayid Nuh 25 y.o from kismayu somalia

Abdirizak Mouled 24 y.o from ontario canada

Ciidamada kenya ayaa wali la hardamaya kooxihii qabsaday dhismaha oo la sheegay inay dhismaha kore isugu tageen, isla markaana muddo 30 saacadood ka badan ku sugan yihiin gudaha xarunta, kuwaasoo la rumeysan yahay inay maxbuus ahaan u heystaan dad aan tiradooda la sheegin.

Qarannews
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LIVE UPDATES: WESTGATE DEATH TOLL AT 59: MINISTER NTV Kenya Livestream

LIVE UPDATES: WESTGATE DEATH TOLL AT 59: MINISTER
NTV Kenya Livestream

http://www.nation.co.ke/news/THE-WESTGATE-TERROR-ATTACK/-/1056/2002524/-/8uo3hcz/-/index.html

4.58pm President Kenyatta says the security forces are doing all they can to secure the lives of those still in the mall.


4.54pm President currently addressing the press, says Kenya shall not relent on the war on terror.


4.05pm Israeli forces join Kenya battle to end deadly mall siege, AFP reports.


3.55pm UN Security Council issues a statement condemning the attacks at the Westgate Mall in Nairobi which has claimed at least 59 lives and injured 175.


3.26pm Deputy President William Ruto asks ICC to adjourn his trial so he can deal with the Westgate terror attack, Reuters reports.


2.14pm Police fire tear tear gas to disperse surging crowds.


2.13pm President Kenyatta to address a press conference at 3pm Sunday. He will be joined by former PM Raila Odinga and Musalia Mudavadi.


2.03pm One more survivor rescued, a woman.


1.15pm The Chinese ambassador to Kenya Liu Guangyuan issues statement saying; "the Chinese side is shocked and strongly condemns the terrorist attack at Westgate Shopping Mall, and wishes to express deep condolences to the victims and profound sympathy to the wounded and the deceased family.”


12.50pm The top Muslim leadership in the country issues statement and condemns the attacks at the Westgate mall.
12.34 The government to provide the list of those affected later on.


12.26pm Minister Ole Lenku says there could be between 10-15 attackers in the mall; says operation is delicate to ensure that hostages get out safe. 1000 people out so far.


12.01pm Death toll now at 59 says minister Ole Lenku,175 injured.


11.44am A Canadian immigration official from the Canada’s High Commission in Kenya among those killed, said the Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird in a press statement.


11.17am "This attack does not warrant countries issuing travel advisories because this has happened all over the world, it happened in Egypt and even in the US," said former PM. Former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka has sent condolences from Sri Lanka.


11.09am "This is a cowardly act by terrorists which they tried to do in 1998 and failed, they will not succeed," says former PM Raila Odinga.


10.57am Unknown number of hostages still trapped in the mall, Interior cabinet secretary Ole Lenku to brief journalists shortly. Police are not allowing anyone near the mall. Gunshots heard earlier.


10.45am Former PM Raila Odinga arrives at Oshwal Center near Westgate Mall, says its a tragic incident and hopes life returns to normal as soon as possible.


10.28am Another woman rescued bringing the number of those rescued this morning to four, husband happy to see her.


10.03am Our reporter Aggrey Mutambo notes that one of the survivors (an employee) who hid in the basement says suspects still inside the mall 22 hours later, fire exchange was there earlier on.


9.51am The US State Department indicates that at least four US nationals were injured in the attack.


9.30am Two military officers seriously injured in Westgate rescue operation rushed to Oshwal Center for first aid.


9.17am Oshwal Religious Center near Westgate is providing free food and water to victims, security forces and other rescue agents.







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