Kenya-Somalia Dispute Plays Out on Twitter
Maj. Emmanuel Chirchir is the official spokesperson for Kenya’s military intervention in neighbouring Somalia. He has been using Twitter to push Kenya’s “official” message about their attacks on the terrorist-linked Al Shabaab organization:
Creating Fear is the only Victory that Al Shabaab wants to claim,lets not allow them to rule our lives,lets remain vigilant and defy them—
Major E. Chirchir (@MajorEChirchir) November 04, 2011
Write a message to soldiers on the war front on my FB Page and i will get the comments we all like a ticket to Safari Sevens @ Nyayo Stadium—
Major E. Chirchir (@MajorEChirchir) November 04, 2011
The military official also warns civilian Somalians to clear out of towns that may be attacked:
#OperationLindaNchi BAIDOA, BAADHEERE,BAYDHABO,DINSUR, AFGOOYE,BWALE, BARAWE,JILIB,KISMAYO and AFMADHOW will be under attack continously—
Major E. Chirchir (@MajorEChirchir) November 01, 2011
#OperationLindaNchi The Kenya Defence Forces urges anyone with relatives and friends in the 10 towns to advise them accordingly.—
Major E. Chirchir (@MajorEChirchir) November 01, 2011
In a localized way, the tweets have also highlighted some differences in East African disputes, say (as noted in the November 4 National Post newspaper in Canada) compared to American military efforts:
#operationlindanchi Kenyans dealing in donkey trade along the Kenya-Somali border are advised not to sell their animals to Al Shabaab—
Major E. Chirchir (@MajorEChirchir) November 03, 2011
That is, heavy rains have made roads impassable by vehicle, and Kenyans should not be selling their donkeys to help the enemy’s movement!
Now, other tweets argue that Chirchir is not telling the whole story:
Kenya military spokesman Major Emmanuel Chirchir lied &falsified that third plane landed in Baidao with weapons from Eritrea. Watch the lie—
Dr. Badal kariye (@somaligov) November 03, 2011
…and it is as if a new Cold War could be entirely conducted on Twitter?
See also from this blog: Kenya Invades Somalia: Why and How
Trackbacks