24 July 2008
editorial
Nairobi — Coming so soon after the International Criminal Court's indictment of Sudanese President Hassan al-Bashir, the capture on Monday of former Serbian President Radovan Karadzic reinforces the message that leaders everywhere must ultimately be called to account.
Karadzic was captured in his own country after 11 years as a fugitive, and now faces almost certain extradition to The Hague where the UN War Crimes Tribunal will be glad to receive him.
Karadzic is the most prominent Balkan war crimes suspect arrested since former Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic was captured and taken to The Hague on genocide charges in 2001. Milosevic died in custody.
That a group once so dominant and virtually untouchable in the European tribal conflicts was reduced to being hunted like common criminals is powerful testimony to the role an international justice system can play.
As we in Kenya watch to see whether one of our neighbours, President al-Bashir, will be slapped with an arrest warrant over the Darfur genocide, let us not forget that some of our own leaders, too, have stoked ethnic warfare.
The impunity displayed is based on the premise that some are untouchable. But fortunes change, and in the end Karadzic and Milosevic were ousted, captured and turned over for trial by their own people.
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Take note you dictatorial leaders Africa who abuse the civil rights of and butcher the citizens hoping to escape the long reach of the accountability requirements by perpetuating yourselves in power! You can run and hide but not for ever.
SUrely you had maverick bloodstained illegitimate President Mugabe in mind when filing this warning!
Great that Africans start calling our leaders to account for.
"SUrely you had maverick bloodstained illegitimate President Mugabe in mind when filing this warning! Great that Africans start calling our leaders to account for." How in hell can you be an illegitimate president when 85% of the voters vote for you? You're letting western propaganda go to your head, dolt.
Dsjoser-35;Am sure you're the most highly paid Bobs spokesperson. How can you defened Mugabe fro what he has done? you dare even write 'How in hell can you be an illegitimate president when 85% of the voters vote for you?'You read the herald too much I dont know news channel you watch;and nayway the guilty are always afraid.How did you know they were referring to you small god-Bob in the article.style up. I think tjhe best proffession fro you is to immigrate to your neighbour botswana and become a cattle herder.
Time for Kenya to ship off Moi and Mwai to the Hague. Both have individually masterminded the killing of thousands of innocent Kenyans. They will have happy times sharing a cell with their comrades Robert Mugabe and Bashir.
Yes, the arrest of Karadzic should be a wake-up those present leaders and those wiating to be come leaders. African leaders shouild stop inflammatory rhetoric against opponents, gays, lesbians, religion, atheist and anyone who does not support them.
Most of the people are uneducated and fed with misinformation by their leaders. Politicians should be held accountable for the actions of their followers. If a member of a political party commit a hate crime, his/her representative should pay a price too.
Yes my friends Itīs just a matter of time before the clean up will hit other African countries that Sudan and Liberia. I am happy to say that it is just around the corner. So be aware all you murderers we are coming to get you and lock you in and through away the key ! You should just know how many emails the get on a daily basis in the Hague regarding African genocides and other atrocities. I am very glad to see and hear so many decent people protest and create opinion against all these events. Kenya needs CHANGE ! NON Violent CHANGE ! NOW !
/Z
Your editorial piece on the capture of Karadzic is very educative but misses on one fact; the arrest and prosecution of corrupt and genocidal leaders requires transparency and moral cooperation of the local government and courts, NOT international! The people and citizens themselves have to unite in the fight against the criminals with one voice, the judiciary must be corruption-free so that there is no cover-up of friends and cohorts, and the media have to be proactive in exposing the evils. But how many times do we see leaders go Scot-free within our own Kenyan government even when obvious criminal charges have been starkly brought against them? The most you can get is short-lived drama in courts then the `suspects' go either underground or get back into public offices!. In fact, Karadzic may have been cautious enough to camouflage and at least disguise himself from the public but our own `Karadzics' in Kenya end up going back to hold public offices and shamelessly have the audacity to even hold both local and international press conferences to defend their behavior. Can you name one single member of the cabinet or civil service who has been prosecuted and jailed over the Anglo Leasing scam or Kamleshi Patni saga?