Kenya charges 70 for being members of al Shahbaab

By Joseph Akwiri
Thursday, February 13, 2014

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MOMBASA: A Kenyan court on Wednesday charged 70 people with being members of Somali militant group al Shahbaab, after they were arrested during a police raid on a mosque that sparked days of rioting in Mombasa.

The 70 people denied being members of the group, which is linked to al Qaeda, and others relating to terrorism, possession of arms, robbery and incitement to violence in a crowded courtroom 10km outside the port city.

They were arrested when armed policemen swooped on the Masjid Mussa mosque in Mombasa on February 2, saying they had information that Muslim youths were being recruited there for militant attacks.

Police said three people were killed in the raid, and recovered an AK-47 rifle, ammunition, swords, knives, video discs and flags which they said bore the symbols of al Shabaab.

They arrested 129 suspects, but released 21 after a court declared them minors, and a further 33 against whom the court found no evidence.

Police said four others had been hospitalised with injuries sustained in the raid, and that one detainee was still being held for interrogation and could be charged with the murder of a police officer during the raid.

The 70 accused were ordered to be held in custody till February 26, when a ruling on their applications for bail will be issued.

The government has vowed to break up militant networks in a bid to end attacks mounted in retaliation against Kenya for sending troops to Somalia to fight al Shahbaab. Gunmen belonging to the group killed at least 67 people in a Nairobi shopping mall in September.

The government has said it will not allow places of worship to be used to radicalise young people.

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