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Human Rights Developments Defending Human Rights The Role of the International Community In the lead-up to the election, Kenyas main donors played a positive role in pushing the government to concede to domestic demands for genuine pluralism. Donors took a more unified public stand around human rights than in the past, although they stopped short of placing human rights conditions on donor aid. In a series of joint statements in 1997, several donor countries criticized police brutality, government harassment of the opposition, and the need to respect the rights to life, speech, assembly, and association. Donors continued to unite to protest human rights problems during the year, although less frequently than in 1997. On election day, international observers from twenty-two embassies, known as the Donors Democratic Development Group, monitored the process. This group issued a January 9, 1998 statement noting that a significant number of young Kenyans were denied the right to register [to vote] as they had not received their identity cards in time. The statement also noted that the governments minimal constitutional reforms did improve the political climate and reduce violence, however the timing of these reforms just prior to the elections reduced their ability to level sufficiently the playing field. The same group also issued another statement in January 1998 expressing concern over the outbreak of ethnic violence and the slow and ineffective response by security forces. Following the election, international attention to the human rights situation declined significantly. Small concessions orpromises by the Kenyan government, often not carried through, were hailed as major steps forward, missing the ongoing pattern of government unwillingness to promote and protect rights. During 1998, international attention focused mainly on Kenyas worsening economic situation and its dismal record on corruption. The international financial instititutions remained dissatisfied with the lack of economic reform occurring in Kenya, and World Bank and IMF funding remained suspended since 1997 pending progress on corruption. There were some preliminary attempts by twenty-four of Kenyas donors to produce a document setting out ways for donors to better coordinate their funding efforts with regard to promoting human rights and good governance in Kenya. It is hoped that this document will be put into effect by Kenyas donors. European Union
The European Commission has a budget of about two million ecus to spend to promote good governance in Kenya over a five year period. However, this amount remains untouched, largely due to the lack of progress by the Kenyan government on governance issues. United States
In March, President Clintons trip through several sub-Saharan countries by-passed Kenya due in part to its lack of progress on economic and human rights reform. President Moi was one of several African presidents who met President Clinton in Uganda and signed the U.S.-inspired Entebbe communique that pledged its signatories to uphold human rights. The Clinton visit also made time to allow the voice of the Kenyan human rights community to be heard. During Clintons visit to Senegal, Kenyan Archbishop Ndingi Mwanaa Nzeki participated in a face-to-face session held with civil society and human rights activists and spoke of human rights violations in Kenya. In July and September, economic and trade concerns were raised in visits by Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin and Commerce Secretary William Daley respectively. During his visit, Secretary Rubin noted that U.S. assistance would be predicated on continued economic and political reforms, but did not raise human rights concerns in any further detail. Secretary Daley made no public reference to human rights concerns. In August, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright visited Kenya following the bombing of the U.S. Embassy to express her sympathies. In 1998, U.S. development aid to Kenya totaled U.S.$23.5 million. Approximately two-thirds of this aid was allocated to program assistance directed almost entirely to nongovernmental organizations. |
Angola Burundi The Democratic Republic of Congo Ethiopia Kenya Liberia Mozambique Nigeria Rwanda Sierra Leone South Africa Sudan Uganda Zambia Stop the Use of Child Soldiers Abduction and Enslavement of Ugandan Children Human Rights Causes of the Famine in Sudan |
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