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In an earlier article, entitled ´Ecoterra Press Release on the Global Stand-off with Somali Pirates of the Ukrainian MV FAINA´, I published a Press Release issued just today by the leading global NGO Ecoterra International – the last international environmental organization still working in Somalia, in which the NGO calls for reason and serenity.
In a second article, entitled ´Horn of Africa Region About to Explode, following Somali Piracy of the Ukrainian MV FAINA´, I republished an Analysis of the MV FAINA Crisis background, elaborated by Ecoterra International.
The interconnectedness of the case with the gangs that rule the (uncontrolled by the local government) Kenyan establishment and the paramilitary is as striking as the illegal deals between Ukraine, Kenya, the Amhara / Tigray tyranny of Abyssinia, the TFG traitors of Somalia, and several Southern Sudanese gangs.
Keep MV FAINA far from dangerous Kenya – the land of gangs and illegal arms deals!
In this regard, the irrelevant accusations against, and the orchestrated arrest of, the Kenyan citizen, Mr. Andrew Mwangura, Chairman of the local chapter of the East African Seafarers Assistance Programme, help only highlight the lack of any legitimacy in the deal stricken between Kenya and Ukraine with respect to the arms transported by the MV FAINA which is for the time being safely controlled by the brave Somali pirates, off the Somali coast of Eyl.
An insightful report published by Ecoterra International sheds sufficient light on this case that reveals the gangsterlike character of the illegal Kenyan paramilitary, defended by the lawless and bribed lawyer Donald Kipkorir and exposed by the honest and persecuted Mr. Andrew Mwangura.
I republish the Report integrally, calling you all to react by flooding the Kenyan embassies´ email accounts with protestations against the ongoing persecution of Mr. Andrew Mwangura.
The Kenyan State Against Mr. Andrew Mwangura
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, all the organizations of the Kenya Marine Forum, and Ecoterra and ECOTERRA Intl. had been informed about the arrest without charges - pending further investigations - of the Chairman of the East African Seafarers Assistance Programme Mr. Andrew Mwangura by officers from the Criminal Investigation Department Mombasa upon allegations of "making alarming statements to foreign media touching on the security of the country". Mr. Mwangura was arrested at the police station to where he went after leaving the Standard Media Group's premises in Mombasa at around 21h00 local time on 01. Oct. 2008 and was held overnight at the police cells at Central Police Station Mombasa. The always humble but outspoken Mwangura, who had worked as a seafarer himself and as trained and professional journalist before his engagement for the welfare of seafarers since more than 10 years, has denied as well as objected to any such allegations. As per the laws of the Republic of Kenya he can be held for up to 24h without charges. He was after many hours of interrogations arraigned in front of a Mombasa Magistrate and charged for making inciting statements as well as being in possession of two marijuana cigarettes.
Kenyan police in the port city of Mombasa had arrested Mr. Andrew Mwangura, chairman of the local chapter of the East African Seafarers Assistance Programme under accusations of "making alarming statements" concerning his opinion expressed to the media that the Ukrainian ship's cargo was for Sudan, after he voluntarily went from the Standard Media Group's premises to the police station, because he had heard that investigators were looking for him.
Mwangura after many hours of interrogations was subsequently charged on 02. October 2008 in front of a Mombasa Magistrate additionally with the possession of four marijuana cigarettes representing a street value of three US-Dollar, which allegedly had been found on him, causing laughter of disbelieve in the courtroom and opinions that such must have been planted on him. His lawyer said the case was a misdemeanour and an application for his detention was unreasonable. Mwangura pleaded not guilty to both charges, but was denied bail and remanded until October 7 for further questionings. Several Kenyan Human Rights Organizations observed the case and their activists pledged to stand with Andrew Mwangura and his organization and to prove that in this case the government tries to blame and punish the messenger while the real culprits run scotch free.
Mr. Mwangura, who also caters firmly for the interests of Kenyan seafarers, has been instrumental in the unharmed release of many seafarers and their vessels from Somalia and his untiring efforts to assist members of ship crews from all over the world and their families has been acknowledged and recognized worldwide. He had stated already earlier to the media that he had received phone-calls from Kenyan officials trying to muzzle him in his efforts to secure the lives and well-being of seafarers taken hostage in Somalia. Prior to his arrest he had been requested by family members of the Ukrainian seafarers on board MV FAINA to do everything he can to secure their safe release and had made his pleas on the 7 o'clock TV news.
Mr. Mwangura has many times brought the necessary transparency into the cases of hi-jacked ships, whose real ownership and purpose is often unknown even to authorities and thereby significantly contributed to the faster finding of solutions for the benefit of the hostages, which many times has been to the disadvantage of brokers and other middlemen, who try to make personal gains from such crisis-situations While Kenya should be proud on such initiative by a Kenyan and his organization, Mr. Mwangura sees his detention in remand without having done anything unlawful and without any proven charges as an affront by various players, who without his selfless engagement would benefit from the piracy business and those who try to further cover up on the unfolding saga of the Ukrainian arms shipment, which was intercepted by the Somali Pirates and whose crew from three nations could face a bitter end in case the still escalating stand-off is not resolved peacefully.
The East African Seafarers Assistance Programme coordinator for Kenya, Mr. Andrew Mwangura (45), who has been remanded in police cells in what is widely believed a gagging exercise to silence the outspoken defender of seafarers, remains confident that the Kenyan judiciary of the new Kenyan coalition government will set him free on Monday. While Kenyan Human Rights Organizations have manned a 24/7 vigil around Mombasa Central Police Stattion, where he is held), the international community has come out in protest against his arrest and detention.
In a joint press-statement by 9 Kenyan Human Rights Organizations it was declared: "Arresting Mwangura is undoubtly a government scheme to silence and portray him as a criminal as well as to silence him, because he is telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth." and stated: "We understand that he is being implicated and has already been charged in court with concocted charges including issuing inflammatory statements concerning the hijacked Ukrainian ship by Somali pirates. This is tantamount to intimidation, persecution, harassment and suppression of the basic fundamental human right of freedom of expression as guaranteed by the Kenyan constitution."
While the members of these organizations stand firm, many other supporters of justice and assistance to seafarers have been intimidated to the extend that they closed down any communication. Even at offices of the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) in Nairobi nobody picked the phone today and e-mails go unanswered.
Seafarers Helpline disabled by Kenya Government Arrest of Maritime Official
Since Kenyan police in the port city of Mombasa still keep Mr. Andrew Mwangura, chairman of the local chapter of the East African Seafarers Assistance Programme under accusations of "making alarming statements" und trumped up charges in a remand cell with extraordinary tight security, the helpline, which he managed 24/7 since so many years, is not reachable at the moment.
The network responded to this crisis:
Family members of abducted seafarers, embassies and others, who need assistance concerning the well-being of the abducted seafarers in Somalia can for the time being contact the network through: MALINDI MARINE ASSOCIATION +254-722-613-858 and will receive help from there until the SAP-helpline is re-established.
Mwangura had been decorated already in 2006 with the International Chamber of Commerce, Commercial Crime Service Combat Crime Award - by the same London-based organization, which also manages the anti-piracy-centre in Kuala Lumpur - for his outstanding work in fighting for the rights of seafarers and he is bitterly missed in the struggle against injustice, exploitation, crime and piracy at the Horn and in East Africa.
"Andrew has helped so many seafarers," said Athman Seif, executive director of the Kenya Marine Forum, which protects marine resources, in an interview with the International Herald Tribune. Last year, Mwangura helped to free Seif's brother-in-law, a sailor whom Somali pirates held hostage for 6 weeks. "This time he must have said something that did not auger well with the big guys," Seif said.
Kepta Ombati, the director of a regional human rights group called the East Africa Social Justice Fund Organization, says - according to Voice of America - he was not surprised to learn that the outspoken maritime official had been arrested: "We believe Mwangura is telling the truth because there is a possibility that this is part of the arms-running, which has been fuelling conflicts around the region and probably the people who are involved in this arms trade are deeply embedded within the government," he said. "Always predictable for a government that is trying to hide very sensitive information is to persecute a whistleblower."
Also several Embassies from all four quarters have through their diplomatic channels expresses their wish that Andrew Mwangura can as soon as possible reconvene his work, which has proven often to be so crucial for many in need.
In a widely published statement Leonard Vincent, spokesman for Paris-based watchdog Reporters Without Borders, said the charges against Mwangura might stop other officials coming forward with information in a country rated as one of the most corrupt in the world.
"We think it is a dangerous precedent and a signal sent to those who have information contradicting the Kenyan government," he said. "We are not used to seeing this in Kenya, that is why we are outraged and surprised."
A large number of Kenyan Human Rights Organizations, who commenced peaceful protests as sit-ins during the day at the remand location, have joined together and keep now a 24h-vigil outside the Central Police Station in Mombasa in order to avert any other incident, where so far unidentified men, who were alleged to be CID officers, had tried to abduct Andrew Mwangura in the middle of the night from that station with presumed ulterior motives.
Press Contact:
ECOP-marine
East-Africa
254-714-747090
www.ecop.info
ECOTERRA Intl.
Nairobi Node
africanode@ecoterra.net
254-733-633-733
Note
Picture: Kenya's Kibaki
In a second article, entitled ´Horn of Africa Region About to Explode, following Somali Piracy of the Ukrainian MV FAINA´, I republished an Analysis of the MV FAINA Crisis background, elaborated by Ecoterra International.
The interconnectedness of the case with the gangs that rule the (uncontrolled by the local government) Kenyan establishment and the paramilitary is as striking as the illegal deals between Ukraine, Kenya, the Amhara / Tigray tyranny of Abyssinia, the TFG traitors of Somalia, and several Southern Sudanese gangs.
Keep MV FAINA far from dangerous Kenya – the land of gangs and illegal arms deals!
In this regard, the irrelevant accusations against, and the orchestrated arrest of, the Kenyan citizen, Mr. Andrew Mwangura, Chairman of the local chapter of the East African Seafarers Assistance Programme, help only highlight the lack of any legitimacy in the deal stricken between Kenya and Ukraine with respect to the arms transported by the MV FAINA which is for the time being safely controlled by the brave Somali pirates, off the Somali coast of Eyl.
An insightful report published by Ecoterra International sheds sufficient light on this case that reveals the gangsterlike character of the illegal Kenyan paramilitary, defended by the lawless and bribed lawyer Donald Kipkorir and exposed by the honest and persecuted Mr. Andrew Mwangura.
I republish the Report integrally, calling you all to react by flooding the Kenyan embassies´ email accounts with protestations against the ongoing persecution of Mr. Andrew Mwangura.
The Kenyan State Against Mr. Andrew Mwangura
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, all the organizations of the Kenya Marine Forum, and Ecoterra and ECOTERRA Intl. had been informed about the arrest without charges - pending further investigations - of the Chairman of the East African Seafarers Assistance Programme Mr. Andrew Mwangura by officers from the Criminal Investigation Department Mombasa upon allegations of "making alarming statements to foreign media touching on the security of the country". Mr. Mwangura was arrested at the police station to where he went after leaving the Standard Media Group's premises in Mombasa at around 21h00 local time on 01. Oct. 2008 and was held overnight at the police cells at Central Police Station Mombasa. The always humble but outspoken Mwangura, who had worked as a seafarer himself and as trained and professional journalist before his engagement for the welfare of seafarers since more than 10 years, has denied as well as objected to any such allegations. As per the laws of the Republic of Kenya he can be held for up to 24h without charges. He was after many hours of interrogations arraigned in front of a Mombasa Magistrate and charged for making inciting statements as well as being in possession of two marijuana cigarettes.
Kenyan police in the port city of Mombasa had arrested Mr. Andrew Mwangura, chairman of the local chapter of the East African Seafarers Assistance Programme under accusations of "making alarming statements" concerning his opinion expressed to the media that the Ukrainian ship's cargo was for Sudan, after he voluntarily went from the Standard Media Group's premises to the police station, because he had heard that investigators were looking for him.
Mwangura after many hours of interrogations was subsequently charged on 02. October 2008 in front of a Mombasa Magistrate additionally with the possession of four marijuana cigarettes representing a street value of three US-Dollar, which allegedly had been found on him, causing laughter of disbelieve in the courtroom and opinions that such must have been planted on him. His lawyer said the case was a misdemeanour and an application for his detention was unreasonable. Mwangura pleaded not guilty to both charges, but was denied bail and remanded until October 7 for further questionings. Several Kenyan Human Rights Organizations observed the case and their activists pledged to stand with Andrew Mwangura and his organization and to prove that in this case the government tries to blame and punish the messenger while the real culprits run scotch free.
Mr. Mwangura, who also caters firmly for the interests of Kenyan seafarers, has been instrumental in the unharmed release of many seafarers and their vessels from Somalia and his untiring efforts to assist members of ship crews from all over the world and their families has been acknowledged and recognized worldwide. He had stated already earlier to the media that he had received phone-calls from Kenyan officials trying to muzzle him in his efforts to secure the lives and well-being of seafarers taken hostage in Somalia. Prior to his arrest he had been requested by family members of the Ukrainian seafarers on board MV FAINA to do everything he can to secure their safe release and had made his pleas on the 7 o'clock TV news.
Mr. Mwangura has many times brought the necessary transparency into the cases of hi-jacked ships, whose real ownership and purpose is often unknown even to authorities and thereby significantly contributed to the faster finding of solutions for the benefit of the hostages, which many times has been to the disadvantage of brokers and other middlemen, who try to make personal gains from such crisis-situations While Kenya should be proud on such initiative by a Kenyan and his organization, Mr. Mwangura sees his detention in remand without having done anything unlawful and without any proven charges as an affront by various players, who without his selfless engagement would benefit from the piracy business and those who try to further cover up on the unfolding saga of the Ukrainian arms shipment, which was intercepted by the Somali Pirates and whose crew from three nations could face a bitter end in case the still escalating stand-off is not resolved peacefully.
The East African Seafarers Assistance Programme coordinator for Kenya, Mr. Andrew Mwangura (45), who has been remanded in police cells in what is widely believed a gagging exercise to silence the outspoken defender of seafarers, remains confident that the Kenyan judiciary of the new Kenyan coalition government will set him free on Monday. While Kenyan Human Rights Organizations have manned a 24/7 vigil around Mombasa Central Police Stattion, where he is held), the international community has come out in protest against his arrest and detention.
In a joint press-statement by 9 Kenyan Human Rights Organizations it was declared: "Arresting Mwangura is undoubtly a government scheme to silence and portray him as a criminal as well as to silence him, because he is telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth." and stated: "We understand that he is being implicated and has already been charged in court with concocted charges including issuing inflammatory statements concerning the hijacked Ukrainian ship by Somali pirates. This is tantamount to intimidation, persecution, harassment and suppression of the basic fundamental human right of freedom of expression as guaranteed by the Kenyan constitution."
While the members of these organizations stand firm, many other supporters of justice and assistance to seafarers have been intimidated to the extend that they closed down any communication. Even at offices of the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) in Nairobi nobody picked the phone today and e-mails go unanswered.
Seafarers Helpline disabled by Kenya Government Arrest of Maritime Official
Since Kenyan police in the port city of Mombasa still keep Mr. Andrew Mwangura, chairman of the local chapter of the East African Seafarers Assistance Programme under accusations of "making alarming statements" und trumped up charges in a remand cell with extraordinary tight security, the helpline, which he managed 24/7 since so many years, is not reachable at the moment.
The network responded to this crisis:
Family members of abducted seafarers, embassies and others, who need assistance concerning the well-being of the abducted seafarers in Somalia can for the time being contact the network through: MALINDI MARINE ASSOCIATION +254-722-613-858 and will receive help from there until the SAP-helpline is re-established.
Mwangura had been decorated already in 2006 with the International Chamber of Commerce, Commercial Crime Service Combat Crime Award - by the same London-based organization, which also manages the anti-piracy-centre in Kuala Lumpur - for his outstanding work in fighting for the rights of seafarers and he is bitterly missed in the struggle against injustice, exploitation, crime and piracy at the Horn and in East Africa.
"Andrew has helped so many seafarers," said Athman Seif, executive director of the Kenya Marine Forum, which protects marine resources, in an interview with the International Herald Tribune. Last year, Mwangura helped to free Seif's brother-in-law, a sailor whom Somali pirates held hostage for 6 weeks. "This time he must have said something that did not auger well with the big guys," Seif said.
Kepta Ombati, the director of a regional human rights group called the East Africa Social Justice Fund Organization, says - according to Voice of America - he was not surprised to learn that the outspoken maritime official had been arrested: "We believe Mwangura is telling the truth because there is a possibility that this is part of the arms-running, which has been fuelling conflicts around the region and probably the people who are involved in this arms trade are deeply embedded within the government," he said. "Always predictable for a government that is trying to hide very sensitive information is to persecute a whistleblower."
Also several Embassies from all four quarters have through their diplomatic channels expresses their wish that Andrew Mwangura can as soon as possible reconvene his work, which has proven often to be so crucial for many in need.
In a widely published statement Leonard Vincent, spokesman for Paris-based watchdog Reporters Without Borders, said the charges against Mwangura might stop other officials coming forward with information in a country rated as one of the most corrupt in the world.
"We think it is a dangerous precedent and a signal sent to those who have information contradicting the Kenyan government," he said. "We are not used to seeing this in Kenya, that is why we are outraged and surprised."
A large number of Kenyan Human Rights Organizations, who commenced peaceful protests as sit-ins during the day at the remand location, have joined together and keep now a 24h-vigil outside the Central Police Station in Mombasa in order to avert any other incident, where so far unidentified men, who were alleged to be CID officers, had tried to abduct Andrew Mwangura in the middle of the night from that station with presumed ulterior motives.
Press Contact:
ECOP-marine
East-Africa
254-714-747090
www.ecop.info
ECOTERRA Intl.
Nairobi Node
africanode@ecoterra.net
254-733-633-733
Note
Picture: Kenya's Kibaki
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