The abduction of a prominent political activist in Kenya brought international attention to the worsening social-political climate within the country. The situation in DR Congo continues to escalate and US President-elect Donald Trump outlines an aggressive foreign policy.
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It happened in Kenya: More abductions
The abduction of Maria Sarungi Tsehai on Sunday, January 12, was met with huge backlash against the supposed involvement of the Kenyan government. Tsehai is a political activist and a well-respected critic of the Tanzanian government. She is known for her work in media and human rights activism, particularly in running Chanzo TV, a pro-democracy online platform advocating for good governance in Tanzania.
Tsehai had sought asylum in Nairobi after she moved from Tanzania in 2020 to flee persecution from former President John Magufuli’s government.
She was abducted by three armed men in the Kilimani area in Kenya’s capital of Nairobi.
Following the huge backlash in the wake of her abduction, both domestically and internationally, Tsehai was released later that evening.
Tsehai’s abduction is the latest in the continuing trend of abductions orchestrated within the country. It highlights a worrying trend of the abductions of political dissidents living in Kenya that are coordinated and supported by the Kenyan government.
Back in November 2024, Uganda’s opposition leader Kizza Besigye was abducted in Nairobi and illegally extradited to Kampala where he appeared in military court. Earlier that month, four Turkish citizens living in Kenya had also been abducted by masked men and forcibly deported to Turkey to face charges of treason.
Kenya has now become the abduction capital of the region, for both nationals and non-nationals living in the country.
Read more: Politically motivated abductions are tainting Kenya’s diplomatic image.
Cases of abductions continue to increase, particularly against activists opposed to President Ruto’s regime. Several Kenyans remain unaccounted for after going missing at the height of the anti-government protests and the consequent anti-government rhetoric on social media that is currently ongoing.
Released abductees have recounted their woeful experiences at the hands of their abductors. However, most of the released abductees have been intimidated into silence. Some unfortunate abductees have died at the hands of their abductors, and such was the case for one Denzel Omondi.
Even top government officials have not been spared. The former Attorney General and current Cabinet Secretary for Public Service Justin Muturi issued a statement last week demanding answers on why his son was abducted and held incommunicado by government forces.
Many of the leaders initially allied to President Ruto have condemned his government’s involvement in the abductions. Some like the immediate former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua have been ousted from their positions.
The National Police Service and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have distanced themselves from the abductions, stating that they are currently investigating all cases of abduction. Nonetheless, the Kenyan police force is at pains to take action to save face, as its reputation has been ruined by its supposed involvement in abductions and forced disappearances.
Circumstantial evidence such as the use of the infamous ‘DCI Subarus’ is a major clue to unmasking the true abductors. Subarus, alongside other vehicles such as the Toyota Probox are vastly used by undercover cops in Kenya. Furthermore, some of the abductors who were caught on camera and have had their identities revealed are connected to the police force or are hired mercenaries acting on its behalf.
More worryingly, however, is the existence of a clandestine police force that is directly controlled from State House. The influence of President Ruto’s inner circle, and particularly that of his Personal Assistant Farouk Kibet, Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi and Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen, remain evident. They act as the muscle to President Ruto, dealing with his critics by perhaps orchestrating the recent wave of abductions being witnessed in the country.
Global Events: Of Trump’s Braggadocio
Trump’s remarks on annexing Greenland, Panama and making Canada America’s 51st state were met with global condemnation. He threatened to use of military intervention to gain control over Greenland, which is strategically located in the Atlantic Ocean. Greenland is an autonomous territory under the Kingdom of Denmark, which is itself a member of NATO.
An aggression against Greenland would trigger NATO’s Article 5 which states that an attack on one member of NATO is an attack against all, European leaders have warned. The situation would make for quite the irony, as it would entail NATO members ganging up to attack the biggest benefactor. Most leaders and experts alike have trashed this threat by Trump, seeing it as a distraction, given that NATO bigger problem in Russia to deal with.
Trump claims that Panama has ceded control of the Panama Canal, a strategic waterway key to the United States’ trading activities, to China. The Panama Canal was constructed by the United States and was opened in 1904. Control over the canal was only handed over to the country of Panama on December 31, 1999. Therefore, it would be inconceivable to Trump and his allies that such a strategic United States asset would end up in the hands of the biggest rival.
As for Canada, the outgoing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has stated that ‘there’s not a snowflake’s chance in hell’ that Canada would become part of the United States.
Oh, and Trump also threatened to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. And he also promised to double down on fighting Hamas forces in Palestine.
While these statements by Trump might be overblown at best, they highlight his commitment to go to great lengths to defend American interests as part of his ‘America First’ doctrine. During his campaign, he promised to impose harsh tariffs on external goods from Canada, Mexico, Europe and much of the world as a way to protect American industry and enterprise.
Trump’s foreign policy focuses on retreating from elsewhere globally and doubling down on protecting its backyard. However, his recent remarks present a different version of this ideology which retains America’s imperialist and expansionary vision.
Experts have drawn parallels to the Monroe Doctrine which fueled America’s expansion during the 19th century in defence of its interests in the western hemisphere.
Trump’s statements also shed insights into why he is superficially ‘sympathetic’ about Putin’s concerns about having a NATO ally in Ukraine at his doorstep. Trump has offered to delay and, perhaps even, reject Ukraine’s membership in NATO as part of brokering the peace deal between the two countries.
Nonetheless, his remarks threaten to poison the relations with important allies. With his inauguration only a few days away, it remains to be seen whether he will make good of any of his pledges and threats.
Elsewhere in the region: An M23 resurgence.
Tensions between DR Congo and Rwanda have continued to escalate even as the M23 rebel group gains a foothold in the eastern Congo region.
M23 is a rebel group initially formed in 2012 by a rebellious faction of the DR Congo army. It is predominantly made up of Tutsi and has strong ties to the Rwandese government. By 2013, The group managed to seize key cities and towns in eastern DR Congo before fading out of influence and going quiet. It re-emerged in 2021 and has been seeking to regain control over territory ever since.
In late 2024 and in the early days of 2025, the group’s re-emergence was evident as it invaded various border towns in the North and South Kivu provinces of DR Congo.
The DR Congo government accuses Rwanda of funding and supporting the rebel group. The Rwandese army has been fighting alongside M23.
The Rwandese government accuses DR Congo of sheltering Hutu militias and rebel groups in eastern DR Congo. The largest and most prominent of these militias is the Democratic Force for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) formed by genocidaires of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide. Rwanda sees its intervention by sending its army into DR Congo as a necessary move to defend the security of its borders by weeding out the militias from their hideouts.
Read More: A Beginner’s Guide to Armed Resistance Movements in DR Congo.
In essence, the Rwandese and DR Congo governments have used armed rebel groups as proxies in a shadow war of control over eastern Congo’s mineral-rich provinces.
The recent resurgence of M23 is no fluke. It coincides with Rwanda’s walking away from the negotiating table of the Luanda Peace Agreement in December 2024. The Luanda peace process has been ongoing since 2002 and has been instrumental in overseeing the normalization of relations between Uganda, Rwanda and DR Congo, especially from the end of the Second Congo War. However, despite bargaining for several ceasefire agreements, relations between DR Congo and Rwanda still remain sour.
The peace agreement hit a deadlock when Rwanda demanded that the DR Congo government negotiate with the M23 rebels directly. The peace process had already hit a rocky road when the DR Congo rejected the plan of dismantling the FDLR forces, without the withdrawal of Rwandese army forces from its territory first.
The DR Congo army stated that it has since taken back control of crucial border outposts from M23 rebels. However, the situation remains edgy and the path to finding lasting peace in the region is far from achievable.
That’s it for this week!
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