generalspeaking

What Looting?

"Obviously, the terrorists wouldn't steal those things, so we just don't know."
Paku Tsavani, Westgate Mall bookshop owner, Nairobi, Kenya

A forensics investigator walks through the damaged Dormans coffee shop on the ground floor of the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, Kenya Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2013. Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta says Kenya will keep its troops in Somalia to help that country's beleaguered government battle the armed Islamic extremist group al-Shabab, which attacked the mall in Nairobi on Sept. 21 claiming at least 67 lives. (AP Photo/Jason Straziuso)

It was noticed. Hard to overlook. Plenty of chaos, confusion. But the attackers representing the jihadist interests of al-Shabab were concerned with destroying lives, not pillaging. Yes, the additional destruction of civil infrastructure, symbols of Western interests, commerce and business, causing havoc there, but looting electronics and jewellery, just not their schtick. Nor perhaps more to the point, might the opportunity have presented itself in the general melee.

And when shop owners went back to the scene of the devastation, to take stock of their inventory in their wrecked and ruined shops with their blasted-out windows and pock-shot walls with detritus and ashes laying thickly over everything in a most unbusinesslike environment with the intention of withdrawing as much as they could manage of their stock to place it in safe-keeping elsewhere, they discovered there wasn't much to be rescued.

Ransacked, looted, stolen, their inventory destroyed, simply vanished, taken away, purloined. As though the Islamists had the leisure and the inclination to enrich themselves with worldly possession, perhaps for resale, perhaps to amuse themselves while in their mountain getaways. But, not likely. So the suspicion turns elsewhere.

When Sandeep Vidyarthi entered the ruined mall on Sunday to assist a relative in his bid to retrieve equipment from his dental practise, he passed shop after shop that had clearly been looted of its saleable items. The Rado shop selling high-end Swiss watches; nothing there, alas. All valuables mysteriously vanished. A puff of smoke? 

As he passed a jewellery shop close to the front entrance he saw and overheard the owner with a long list of missing precious stones and high-end necklaces - gone. The list was being presented to security officials. "The jeweller had written down this very long list", explained Mr. Vidyarthi.

 In a news conference Interior Minister Joseph Ole Lenku confirmed reports of theft. Alcohol stocks from restaurants; depleted. Money and mobile phones taken from bags and purses left behind as desperately frightened people attempted to escape their plight. The business owner who stated this for a fact, insisted on anonymity. For fear of government retribution.

The book shop employees found cash registers pulled awry, cash missing. The store's laptops taken away. The books stacked neatly on shelves appeared to have represented little potential ownership appeal to the looters. Of course there are more important issues to consider.

Over three dozen people are still unaccounted for nearly a week after the four-day attack that killed at least 61 civilians and six security force members, for example. Even though the government insists there are no missing people. While the head of the Kenyan Red Cross claims that up to 50 bodies are yet to be found, and the morgue awaits their presence.

And the missing goods? Shop owners and managers spent Monday hauling out whatever merchandise and valuables they could find still remaining in their shops. In an effort to prevent anything else from disappearing. Noting that soon after the attack began on September 21, Kenyan officials had placed a security cordon around the mall. Only security forces and a few government personnel permitted entry.

Of the responders to the terrorist attack the majority were from Kenya's military. And it is well enough known how poorly paid security forces are in Kenya. A military spokesman refused to comment when asked repeatedly about the issue. But Interior Minister Lenku did: "Those responsible for looting will be prosecuted", he stated.

Labels: Conflict, Crime, Islamists, Kenya

posted by Pieface @ Wednesday, October 02, 2013