Kenya

Annan hands Kenya list to ICC

Article published on the 2009-07-09 Latest update 2009-07-09 18:22 TU

Former UN chief Kofi Annan has handed his list of suspects to the ICC
(Photo: Reuters)

Former UN chief Kofi Annan, the mediator in the Kenyan crisis, has handed the names of suspects allegedly involved in post-election violence to the International Criminal Court (ICC), according to a statement released by the African Union.

Annan says he handed a sealed envelope to the ICC because Nairobi failed to set up its own court to try the perpetrators of the bloodletting.

Some 1,500 people died in the violence sparked by accusations of then opposition leader Raila Odinga that President Mwai Kibaki stole the 2007 election.

Annan had threatened to hand over the list unless Kenya set up its own special tribune by 1 March 2009. The Kenyan government had been granted more time because of the possibility of political interference.

"Justice delayed is justice denied," Annan was quoted as saying in the AU statement.

"The people of Kenya want to see concrete progress on impunity. Without such progress, the reconciliation between ethnic groups and the long-term stability of Kenya is in jeopardy."

The list has not been made public but is believed to include top government officials.

Mwalimu Mati of Partership for Change, in Nairobi told RFI that the list came down to 11 "personalities".

"Speculation in Nairobi is that on this list there are sitting cabinet ministers and politicians and senior business leaders," he said.

"Kenya has a problem of high level political impunity. The National Unity government is unwilling and unable to deal with it and hasn't been able to secure parliamentary support for establishing a local tribunal."