Civil society groups caution state on terror war

Civil society organisations have cautioned government against using war on terror to divide Kenyans along religious and sectarian lines.
In a joint statement, the Africa Centre for Open Governance (AFRICOG), Kenya for Peace with Truth and Justice (KPTJ), Inuka Kenya, International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) and International Centre for Policy and Conflict Resolution expressed their concern about what they said the ‘extremely dangerous’ approach to fight terrorism.
They took issue with blanket operations against Muslim communities in the terror war, saying such responses risk polarizing the country along religious lines. Inuka Kenya CEO John Githongo said the policy of profiling the Muslim community was a worrying trend that is jeopardizing national integration and exposing the country to sectarian divisions.
“We are profiling people by religion and for the first time creating a divide between Muslim and Christians and thus adding flavor to war on terrorism,” the governance and ethics permanent secretary said.
On her part, the AFRICOG executive director Gladwell Otieno said fighting terror needed a united front and stated that allowing religious divisions amounts to playing into hands of terrorists. “It is counterproductive that whenever there is an attack the focus is on Muslims. These people are the ones who will help in the fight against terror but when you profile them as suspects you kill the trust and confidence,” she said.
Gladwell further faulted the use of the military in responding to internal terror attacks, arguing that war on terror was not exclusively a military issue but also needed a social, economic, and political approach.