Foreign forensic experts flood Kenya to identify attackers

Posted by admin Africa & World Politics, Headlines Wednesday, September 25th, 2013

Kenya’s investigation into a bloody siege by Islamist militants in Nairobi has been joined by experts from the US, UK, Germany, Canada and Interpol.

Forensic experts are combing the Westgate shopping complex for DNA and ballistic clues, Interior Minister Joseph Ole Lenku said.

He confirmed that five militants were dead and said the bodies of more were expected to be found.

Funerals are continuing to be held for the 67 civilian and military victims.

“We have moved to the next phase,” Mr Lenku told a news briefing in Nairobi, saying that he expected the forensic audit to take at least seven days.

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Analysis

Will Ross
BBC News, Nairobi
Throughout the crisis the Red Cross was registering people as missing as friends and relatives gave details – is it possible that some of those on the list were later found or sadly died and were not removed?

The Red Cross had mentioned at least 50, possibly more than 60, people unaccounted for. Interior Minister Joseph Ole Lenku said there could still be bodies under the rubble but described the number as “insignificant”, and suggested they were more likely to be of the gunmen themselves.

Nothing really was said today that President Uhuru Kenyatta hadn’t said almost 24 hours ago. By saying it will take at least seven days until the forensic results are out – it was partly a way of telling the world: “Sorry we’re not going to tell you any more for a while.”

He said he did not expect the death toll to rise significantly.

Several bodies are thought to be trapped under rubble after three floors of the building collapsed. Mr Lenku said he only expected bodies of militants to be found.

Work is continuing to establish their identities, including whether one was a woman, he added. saying: “We want to again request you to allow the forensic experts to determine whether that is true.”

Mr Lenku said he was unable to confirm whether there were any Britons or Americans involved, but said that 10 people were being held in connection with the attack.

Counter-claims
Flags flew at half-mast across Kenya on Wednesday, as three days of national mourning began.

Somali Islamist group al-Shabab said it had carried out the attack in retaliation for Kenyan army operations in Somalia.

The militants stormed the Westgate centre on Saturday, throwing grenades and firing indiscriminately at shoppers and staff.

Alyaz Merali, wounded in the attack, took part in a funeral procession for his mother, who was killed

Traders were selling wreaths outside Nairobi’s City Mortuary

Nuns prayed near the Westgate shopping centre on Wednesday morning
Twitter posts on an al-Shabab account said the group’s militants had held 137 people hostage, and claimed the hostages had died after security forces fired chemical agents to end the siege.

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The posts could not be verified. A government spokesman denied any chemical agents were used, and authorities called on Kenyans to ignore militant propaganda.

Both sides blamed the other for causing part of the shopping centre to collapse.

Al-Shabab, which is linked to al-Qaeda, has repeatedly threatened attacks on Kenyan soil if Nairobi did not pull its troops out of Somalia.

–BBCwp_posts