Hague court accuses six Kenyans of crimes against humanity over post-election violence

Kenya

Senior Kenyan politicians have been accused of leading violence that left 1,200 people dead and more than half a million displaced following elections almost three years ago.

Fighting between supporters of Kenya's opposing political parties raged for six weeks in early 2008 Photo: AFP/GETTY

By Mike Pflanz, Nairobi 4:37PM GMT 15 Dec 2010

The International Criminal Court on Wednesday accused six men including the deputy prime minister and the head of the civil service of crimes against humanity.

The Hague-based court’s chief prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, disclosed the names after presenting 158 pages of evidence to judges and asking them to summon the six to appear at the world’s only standing war crimes tribunal.

Fighting between supporters of Kenya’s opposing political parties raged for six weeks in early 2008 after accusations that the vote count of the December 2007 presidential poll had been rigged.

Uhuru Kenyatta, the deputy prime minister and finance minister, Francis Muthaura, head of the civil service and a close ally of President Mwai Kibaki, and Maj Gen Hussein Ali, the former chief of police, are together accused in one case.

On the charge sheet for a second case are William Ruto, the suspended higher education minister, Henry Kosgey, the industrialisation minister, and Joshua Sang, a radio presenter.

Among the accusations raised against all six men are murder, ethnic cleansing and persecution based on political affiliation.

Mr Kenyatta, Mr Muthaura and Maj Gen Ali are also accused of involvement in crimes of sexual violence.

Judges at the International Criminal Court will decide in the coming weeks whether the evidence as presented by the Prosecutor justifies summoning the suspects to answer the charges at The Hague.

If so, they will be requested to attend voluntarily, but arrest warrants will be issued if they refuse.

Barack Obama, the US president, called on all Kenyans to co-operate with the court investigation.

“The path ahead is not easy, but I believe that the Kenyan people have the courage and resolve to reject those who would drag the country back into the past and rob Kenyans of the singular opportunity that is before them to realise the country’s vast potential,” he said.