ICC Note:
Following the massacre of more than 50 people in coastal Kenyan tourism hotspot, Mpeketoni, spiritual leaders are calling for greater security against attacks from the likes of al-Shabaab. During the raid, militants allegedly went from door to door, asking people, through a variety of life-or-death tests, to affirm their Islamic faith. Several Christians were massacred as a result, leaving many to question the motive of the attack.
06/23/2014 Kenya (World Watch Monitor) – Following the June 15 massacre of dozens of people in a Christian-majority coastal
village, Kenya’s religious leaders are urging the government to improve security in the country.
“We acknowledge the anger and desperation of Kenyans arising from the spiralling insecurity and rising tension in the country,” said the Most Rev. Zacheus Okoth, archbishop of Kisumu and chairman of the Catholic Justice and Peace Commission.
An estimated 50 gunmen stormed the village of Mpeketoni, about 40 kilometres inland from the Indian Ocean, around 8 p.m. on June 15, overwhelming police forces. Initial reports counted 45 dead, though aid worker Wim van den Burg told Dutch media he counted more than 100 bodies, according to Open Doors International, a global charity that provides assistance to Christians who live under pressure because of their faith.
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