KENYA: POLICE DISPERSE MOSLEM DEMONSTRATION

NAIROBI, Nov 13 (IPS) - TWENTY PEOPLE WERE INJURED WHEN POLICE BROKE UP A DEMONSTRATION BY SUPPORTERS OF THE OUTLAWED ISLAMIC PARTY OF KENYA (IPK) IN THE KENYAN PORT OF MOMBASA, ABOUT 500 KM SOUTH-EAST OF HERE.

A POLICE SPOKESMAN TOLD IPS THAT THE POLICE, WIELDING CLUBS, BATONS AND RIFLE BUTTS FIRED INTO THE AIR SEVERAL TIMES TO DISPERSE THE PROTEST BY ABOUT 30 IPK SUPPORTERS AFTER MOSLEM PRAYERS ON LAST FRIDAY.

THE DEMONSTRATORS SAID THE POLICE DISPERSED THEM AFTER THEY WERE TRYING TO PRESENT A LETTER TO THE MOMBASA DISTRICT COMMISSIONER DEMANDING THE RELEASE OF A LEADING IPK MEMBER, MOHAMED WAKESA, WHO WENT MISSING TWO MONTHS AGO.

BUT THE DISTRICT COMMISSIONER, ALI KORANE, SAID NO RELATIVES OF WAKESA HAD REPORTED THE DISAPPEARANCE TO THE POLICE. "THE GOVERNMENT WOULD GAIN NOTHING BY HOLDING SOMEONE UNKNOWN TO IT," SAID KORANE.

BUT RASHID MZEE, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR THE OPPOSITION FORUM FOR THE RESTORATION OF DEMOCRACY (FORD-KENYA), TOLD PARLIAMENT RECENTLY THAT PLAIN-CLOTHES POLICE PICKED UP WAKESA ON AUGUST 19 AND TOOK HIM TO A POLICE STATION.

MZEE'S CLAIM HAD BEEN DENIED BY THE GOVERNMENT.

THE IPK -- WITH POLITICAL BASE CONFINED TO THE MAINLY MOSLEM COASTAL BELT THAT ENCOMPASSES MOMBASA AND MALINDI -- WAS FORMED IN THE RUN-UP TO KENYA'S MULTI-PARTY ELECTIONS IN 1992 BUT WAS REFUSED REGISTRATION ON THE GROUNDS IT WOULD FUEL RELIGIOUS ANIMOSITY.

KORANE, HIMSELF A MUSLIM, DESCRIBED THE DEMONSTRATORS AS "A REMNANT OF IPK MEMBERS BELONGING TO A RADICAL GROUP WHICH SHOULD BE TREATED AS A DEAD ORGANISATION".

THE MOMBASA VIOLENCE FOLLOWED A TWO-DAY RIOTING HERE AFTER OPPOSITION POLITICAL PARTIES WON TWO NAIROBI CONSTITUENCIES IN A BY-ELECTION LAST WEEK.

TEN PEOPLE WERE KILLED IN THE VIOLENCE WHICH PITTED THE LUOS, WHO SUPPORT THE OPPOSITION, AGAINST THE KENYAN SOMALIS.

FORD-KENYA ACCUSED THE GOVERNMENT OF SENDING IN THE NOTORIOUS PARAMILITARY GENERAL SERVICE UNIT (GSU) TO SUPPORT THE SOMALIS AGAINST THE LUOS, KENYA'S SECOND LARGEST ETHNIC GROUP.

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