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| Kenya coast secessionists play on fear of outsiders – the wabara | Kenya coast secessionists play on fear of outsiders – the wabara |
| (7 days later) | |
| Randu Nzai Ruwa is no stereotypical revolutionary. But the soft-spoken carpenter has a radical idea – he wants independence for Kenya's Indian Ocean coast, a paradise for visitors where locals live in poverty. | Randu Nzai Ruwa is no stereotypical revolutionary. But the soft-spoken carpenter has a radical idea – he wants independence for Kenya's Indian Ocean coast, a paradise for visitors where locals live in poverty. |
| Ruwa is the leader of the Mombasa Republican Council (MRC), a secessionist group outlawed by the Kenyan government in 2010 but unbanned by the courts in July. | Ruwa is the leader of the Mombasa Republican Council (MRC), a secessionist group outlawed by the Kenyan government in 2010 but unbanned by the courts in July. |
| He says the government is neglecting the region, and complains that jobs, land and resources go to outsiders from the rest of Kenya, known as wabara. "We have been made slaves in our own land," Ruwa says in a scruffy, noisy room in Mombasa, the country's second-largest city. | He says the government is neglecting the region, and complains that jobs, land and resources go to outsiders from the rest of Kenya, known as wabara. "We have been made slaves in our own land," Ruwa says in a scruffy, noisy room in Mombasa, the country's second-largest city. |
| The movement is just the latest – in a continent splintered by separatist disputes, some longstanding, others more recent – to challenge the notoriously arbitrary borders drawn by European colonisers in the 1880s with little regard for ethnicity, culture and religion. | The movement is just the latest – in a continent splintered by separatist disputes, some longstanding, others more recent – to challenge the notoriously arbitrary borders drawn by European colonisers in the 1880s with little regard for ethnicity, culture and religion. |
| From western Sahara and Casamance in west Africa to Puntland in Somalia and Matabeleland in Zimbabwe, Africa has more than 20 independence movements, some of which will have been encouraged by the recent experience of South Sudan, which broke away from Sudan last year. | From western Sahara and Casamance in west Africa to Puntland in Somalia and Matabeleland in Zimbabwe, Africa has more than 20 independence movements, some of which will have been encouraged by the recent experience of South Sudan, which broke away from Sudan last year. |
| In post-Gaddafi Libya, the east around Benghazi is notably restive. Ethiopia has two long-running separatist movements in Ogaden and Oromia. Zanzibar, merged with Tanganyika almost 50 years ago into Tanzania, is now hearing Islamists call for a referendum on ending the union. | In post-Gaddafi Libya, the east around Benghazi is notably restive. Ethiopia has two long-running separatist movements in Ogaden and Oromia. Zanzibar, merged with Tanganyika almost 50 years ago into Tanzania, is now hearing Islamists call for a referendum on ending the union. |
| Portrayed as a palm-fringed paradise in tourist brochures, Kenya's coast suffers from crippling poverty and unemployment. The region's wealth exacerbates frustrations: tourist resorts bring in millions of dollars each year and Mombasa's port is the gateway to east Africa for goods from around the world. | Portrayed as a palm-fringed paradise in tourist brochures, Kenya's coast suffers from crippling poverty and unemployment. The region's wealth exacerbates frustrations: tourist resorts bring in millions of dollars each year and Mombasa's port is the gateway to east Africa for goods from around the world. |
| Mombasa and the surrounding region have a distinct heritage garnered from centuries of Arab trade and influence – the pungent smell of the spices traded centuries ago still perfume the Old Town's narrow winding streets. | Mombasa and the surrounding region have a distinct heritage garnered from centuries of Arab trade and influence – the pungent smell of the spices traded centuries ago still perfume the Old Town's narrow winding streets. |
| The Portuguese dominated the region for about 200 years from the late 15th century, before they were overthrown by the Omani Arabs, who then ceded control of the region to the British. | The Portuguese dominated the region for about 200 years from the late 15th century, before they were overthrown by the Omani Arabs, who then ceded control of the region to the British. |
| The council, which says it has more than 2 million members, argues that the British protectorate should never have been integrated into Kenya at independence. Its Kiswahili slogan is "Pwani si Kenya" ("the coast is not Kenya"). | The council, which says it has more than 2 million members, argues that the British protectorate should never have been integrated into Kenya at independence. Its Kiswahili slogan is "Pwani si Kenya" ("the coast is not Kenya"). |
| Ruwa believes the Mombasa region has a strong case for independence, backed by historical documents. Kenyan authorities say the documents are false. | Ruwa believes the Mombasa region has a strong case for independence, backed by historical documents. Kenyan authorities say the documents are false. |
| Although most analysts believe secession will never happen, they say Ruwa's movement could play a significant role as Kenya prepares for elections next March, five years after around 1,200 people were killed in tribal violence after a disputed poll. | Although most analysts believe secession will never happen, they say Ruwa's movement could play a significant role as Kenya prepares for elections next March, five years after around 1,200 people were killed in tribal violence after a disputed poll. |
| The organisation wants its supporters to boycott the March vote, and Ruwa says many of its people are losing patience. "It is like a time bomb," he said. "All the youth want to fight with the government … We are just cooling them down." | The organisation wants its supporters to boycott the March vote, and Ruwa says many of its people are losing patience. "It is like a time bomb," he said. "All the youth want to fight with the government … We are just cooling them down." |
| Suleiman Shahbal, a businessman campaigning for election as Mombasa's governor, acknowledges the appeal of independence. "A lot of people at the coast feel the electoral process has failed us … That has led to the frustration that you are now seeing epitomised by the MRC," he said. | Suleiman Shahbal, a businessman campaigning for election as Mombasa's governor, acknowledges the appeal of independence. "A lot of people at the coast feel the electoral process has failed us … That has led to the frustration that you are now seeing epitomised by the MRC," he said. |
| One of the most festering issues is land. Much of the best property at the coast is owned by people from other parts of Kenya – a result, the MRC says, of land-grabbing by Kenya's first president after independence, Jomo Kenyatta. The group says even the jobs created by the wabara, go to wabara. | One of the most festering issues is land. Much of the best property at the coast is owned by people from other parts of Kenya – a result, the MRC says, of land-grabbing by Kenya's first president after independence, Jomo Kenyatta. The group says even the jobs created by the wabara, go to wabara. |
| Kenyan officials have linked the separatists to militant groups such as Somalia's Islamist al-Shabaab. But Ruwa denies the allegations and a November 2011 study of the movement (pdf), by a researcher, Paul Goldsmith, found no evidence of an official armed wing – yet. | Kenyan officials have linked the separatists to militant groups such as Somalia's Islamist al-Shabaab. But Ruwa denies the allegations and a November 2011 study of the movement (pdf), by a researcher, Paul Goldsmith, found no evidence of an official armed wing – yet. |
| "The MRC is not armed but could easily become so in the future," Goldsmith wrote, adding there were reports of some units undergoing rudimentary military-style training. | "The MRC is not armed but could easily become so in the future," Goldsmith wrote, adding there were reports of some units undergoing rudimentary military-style training. |
| He also said some of the wabara were reportedly arming themselves. "The potential for violence, however, should be viewed as largely independent of the MRC campaign … engaging the MRC is arguably one of the best opportunities for preventing bloodshed on the coast." | He also said some of the wabara were reportedly arming themselves. "The potential for violence, however, should be viewed as largely independent of the MRC campaign … engaging the MRC is arguably one of the best opportunities for preventing bloodshed on the coast." |
| In Mombasa, tensions are already rising. Take Ali, who is sitting in the shade in the middle of a Mombasa day, killing time because he has no job. "There are so many people around the coast, especially the tribes of the coast, who are jobless," he said, declaring his support for independence. "If you have 90% jobless, what's next? It's war." | In Mombasa, tensions are already rising. Take Ali, who is sitting in the shade in the middle of a Mombasa day, killing time because he has no job. "There are so many people around the coast, especially the tribes of the coast, who are jobless," he said, declaring his support for independence. "If you have 90% jobless, what's next? It's war." |
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