Kenya, India call for end to counter-terrorism ‘hypocrisy

Kenya is endorsing India’s call for world powers to end their “hypocrisy” in regard to the war on terror and o confront the challenge without other undue political influences.

At a debate chaired by India at the UN Security Council to celebrate victims of terror, Kenya’s Permanent Representative Martin Kimani said the world is “hiding our heads in the sand” in the way global powers choose to punish terror merchants, including lack of predictability in the use of sanctions to deter terror activities.

As part of the month to celebrate victims of terror, the UN Security Council issued a joint statement on Friday last week on the “importance of a holistic approach to counter terrorism and violent extremism conducted in accordance with international law”.

It called for “all the efforts to address the governance, security, human rights, humanitarian, development and socio-economic dimensions of the challenge, including employment for the youth and eradication of poverty”.

Second such call

But this was the second such call since 2020 in which critics say there has been no action following the statements.

The UN has since 2017 designated August 21 as the International Remembrance and Tribute to Victims of Terrorism, and the month of August generally reserved for activities to commemorate the fight against violent extremism.

Dr Kimani said there has been a broken chord in the way world powers have handled counter terrorism, which has sometimes fuelled the very war they purport to fight.

Kenya has been frustrated by lack of tougher sanctions on Somali militant group Al-Shabaab, for example, as humanitarian organisations argue such a move could punish civilians.

Despite aligning with al-Qaeda, with some factions declaring allegiance to ISIS, the Somali-based terror group has been sanctioned only under a UN regime targeting warlords, giving a false impression the group is a rebel movement. Individual countries like US, Kenya and Somalia itself have proscribed it as a terror organisation.

Resolution 1267

“The Security Council must be ready to utilise the full effect of Resolution 1267 by urgently taking steps to revitalise the global counter-terrorism architecture,” he said, referring to the sanction regime that applies to Al-Qaeda, the Taliban, ISIS and other affiliated groups.

Kenya has in the past tried to push for Al-Shabaab to be listed under Resolution 1267, which will effectively ban humanitarian delivery to all areas the group controls. But this fell threw in 2019 and last year after US and UK vetoed the draft resolution.

“Despite the fact that everyone knows that the group is a committed Al-Qaeda affiliate, the turning down of our request damages the credibility of the 1267 regime.

“It undermines the global counter-terrorism architecture that was established by this Council following the 9/11 attacks,” Dr Kimani said in a statement, referring to the infamous, daring raid by Al-Qaeda on the Twin Towers in New York as well as the Pentagon headquarters in the US on September 11, 2001.

US war on terror

After the attack, the US launched what it called “War on Terror”, amassing sanctions on financiers and members of Al-Qaeda group, including Afghanistan’s Taliban group that was fingered for hosting Osama bin Laden, the founder of Al-Qaeda who was killed in a 2011 raid in Pakistan.

Chairing the Council session ahead of the commemorations, India’s External Affairs Minister Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said the world must have zero tolerance to terrorism including “no double standards, no distinction”.

“India has long been a victim of cross-border terrorism. The battle against terrorism knows no respite. The will to fight must never weaken,” he said.

“[There should be] no double standards. Terrorists are terrorists; distinctions are made only at our own peril. Enlist and delist objectively, not on political or religious considerations.”

Taliban comeback

The meeting came as the Taliban, once sanctioned for harbouring terrorists, won back control of Afghanistan, defeating 20 years of an investment by a military coalition that sought to end their brutal rule in the Asian country.

The Indian minister, whose country is the August President of the Council, said that victory had caused concern especially since the Haqqani group that leads the Taliban are proscribed.

“Whether it is in Afghanistan or against India, groups like Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed continue to operate with both impunity and encouragement.

“It is, therefore, vital that this Council does not take a selective, tactical or even a complacent view of the problems we face. We must never countenance sanctuaries for terrorists or overlook the raising of their resources.

“And when we see state hospitality being extended to those with innocents’ blood on their hands, we should never lack the courage to call out this double-speak,” he said.

ISIS expanding

A report on the threat of ISIS published last week by the UN Secretary-General’s office said the group was expanding to new regions, especially in Africa, with far-reaching implications on security.

It cited affiliated groups such as the ISIS Province in West Africa, ISIS in greater Sahara, ISIS in Central Africa and ISIS in Khorasan, the latter which seeks to expand the caliphate from Syria to as far as India and neighbouring countries.

The Council did call for a “coherent and effective regional approach” as well as support from regional organisations and countries to track down activities of terror cells.

Kenya thinks the win by Taliban could inspire groups sharing the ideology to entrench their terror.

“As the ongoing developments leading to the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban show, the Council should be concerned on the possibility that they may inspire copycat tactics within the region and internationally by fellow ideological groups with dire, long-term consequences,” Dr Kimani said.