Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Second Day of Rioting in Kenya

Riots have rocked Kenya's second-largest city for a second day, again turning deadly. The violence was triggered by the killing of a Muslim cleric accused by the United States of aiding Islamist militants in Somalia.

Police battled stone-throwing youths on Tuesday, firing tear gas and warning shots as the rioters barricaded streets with burning tires in Majengo.

The district is a predominantly Muslim neighborhood in Mombasa, Kenya's second-largest city. Looting was also reported.

In support of the rioters, Islamist militant group al-Shabaab called on Kenyan Muslims to "take all necessary measures" to defend their religion.

"Muslims must take the matter into their own hands, stand united against the kuffar (unbelievers) and take all necessary measures to protect their religion, their honor, their property and their lives from the enemies of Islam," the group said in a statement posted on Twitter. Al-Shabaab is considered a terrorist organization by the European Union and the US.
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The violence in Mombasa erupted after cleric Aboud Rogo Mohammed, popularly known as "Rogo," was shot dead on Monday by "unknown people," according to Kenyan police. Mohammed was on the US and UN sanctions lists for his alleged support of al-Shabaab, a Somalia-based group linked to al Qaeda, which was said to have included fundraising and helping the group recruit new members.

The preacher was driving with his wife and children when gunmen opened fire on his vehicle, riddling it with bullets. Images released by his enraged supporters showed his bloody body slumped behind the wheel. Protests then erupted, with one person hacked to death, cars torched, businesses looted and at least five churches set ablaze.

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