18 Jan 2008: ISS Seminar, Addis Ababa: A Critical Analysis of the Political Crisis in Kenya
Register Online: ISS Public Seminar: A Critical Analysis of the Political Crisis in Kenya
Addis Ababa, 18 January 2008
Friday 18 January 2008, 2.30pm – 5pm, Hilton Hotel Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
The Direct Conflict Prevention Programme (DCP) of the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) – Addis Ababa office would like to cordially invite you to a public seminar entitled: A Critical Analysis of the Political Crisis in Kenya. The recently contested result of the presidential election in Kenya has triggered violence thus putting the country at a difficult crossroad. The direct consequence of the violence has not only been political uncertainty, lost of human lives and property, a simmering humanitarian catastrophe, economic difficulty for Kenyans and the region, but most importantly Kenya’s political crisis seems to have strengthen afro-pessimism. As one of the few democracies on the continent, the political crisis seems to justify the almost truism that Africa is synonymous to conflict and political instability.
Like most African conflicts, the political crisis in Kenya has been analysed and described as ethnic competition for control of the state by various competing tribes in the country. How true does this capture the realities of the crisis? This seminar seeks to analyse the crisis by engaging the following questions: What is the cause of the crisis? Can it be traced to the political economy of the colonial state and the compromise of 2002? Who are the main players and what are their interests, and what are the regional security implications of the crisis? Most importantly we will seek to explore possible solutions to remedy the current situation.
The DCP strives to complement and support the work of the African union (AU) particularly on issues of peace and security. The ISS Public Seminar Series is part of the DCP effort at consensus building by providing a platform for sharing information, encouraging policy debates and dialogues on the African peace and security agenda. The aim is to stimulate quality discussion, in-depth and constructive interaction between participants. To allow for construction interaction, presentations will be introductory remarks aimed at stimulating unconstrained discussion. Our two presenters are Dr. Adams Oloo and Dr. Kindiki from the University of Nairobi.
You are invited to participate in this important discussion. Please forward this invitation to interested colleagues.
For queries, confirmations and regrets please contact: Ms Yemissrach Tadesse. Phone: (+251) 011-372-11-54; Fax (+251) 011-372-59-54; E-mail: [email protected]
Please note that discussions occur under the Chatham House rules, which means no attribution without specific permission.
