Wednesday, June 16, 2021 – A section of citizens of the Republic of Somalia living in the United Kingdom staged protests outside the Kenyan embassy in London castigating President Uhuru Kenyatta for the airstrikes in Somalia allegedly carried out by the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF).
Armed with placards and megaphones, they chanted for Uhuru to be taken to the International Criminal Court (ICC) citing him as a war criminal.
They also called for the KDF troops to be withdrawn from their country.
The demonstration appeared to have had the support of the Somalia federal government as its communication officer reshared photos and videos of the demonstration.
KDF, as part of the African Union Mission (AMISOM), was deployed to Somalia to conduct operations to curb the threat of the Al Shabaab.
However, the protesters stated that the recent airstrikes, allegedly conducted by the KDF, killed innocent women and children in Gedo.
“Kenyan government shame on you, Uhuru Kenyatta shame on you, Uhuru is a war criminal,” the protesters raged on as they called for justice for the bereaved families.
This new development comes as the tension between Kenya and Somalia keeps escalating with the row heightened after Somalia accused Kenya of the airstrikes in its territory.
Somalia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement, blamed KDF for the operations, saying that the operations led to the killings of many innocent Somali residents.
The ministry cited that it would present its case at the African Union for the alleged violation of the AMISOM guidelines by KDF troops.
The two countries are also at loggerheads over the border row as they both fight for the lion’s share within the Indian Ocean.
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