VOA常速英语2008年-Threat From Armed Groups Persists Amid Politica

By Derek Kilner
Nairobi
05 March 2008

Kenya's parliament is set to reconvene Thursday to begin the process of enacting¹ a power-sharing agreement reached last week between the country's two main parties. But as Derek Kilner reports from Nairobi, incidents in the country's west and in the capital provided reminders² of the potential for renewed violence.

In the country's western Mt. Elgon region, police continued an operation targeting the Sabaot Land Defense³ Force, or SLDF, a well-armed militia⁴ group blamed for a raid on two villages Monday that killed at least 12 people.

The militia has been involved in clashes in the area since 2006 that have killed hundreds and displaced tens of thousands. Members have targeted groups it says are occupying land that was unfairly taken from them in a government resettlement scheme.

 

Police say three militia members have been killed and at least 10 arrested. Police spokesman Eric Kiraithe says the operation will continue.

"This time around that operation must go on until those firearms being used against innocent civilians⁵ are recovered," said Kiraithe. "We expect to sustain this operation. Every time community policing approaches are applied⁶, they just finish two or three weeks and they are back again to commit serious crimes."

This time, the police are employing helicopters and have considered calling in the military.

In a recent report the Brussels-based International Crisis Group called the SLDF the "most powerful and best-armed militia" in the country's west, and raised concerns that the group has allied⁷ itself with militias⁸ from the related Kalenjin community in driving out members of other ethnic⁹ groups.

Meanwhile, in Nairobi, police used teargas to disperse¹⁰ hundreds of protesters demanding the release of Maina Njenga, a former leader of the Mungiki gang, an organized crime outfit¹¹ from the Kikuyu community with roots as a quasi-religious sect¹².

The police cracked down on the group last year after it was blamed for a wave of killings¹³, including beheadings. But the group resurfaced during January's post-election violence, when it is believed to have killed several hundred people from other ethnic groups.

The Mungiki has long been suspected of ties to Kikuyu politicians.

While both the SLDF and the Mungiki pre-date the clashes that followed December's election, the presence of the armed groups and the potential for their mobilization highlight the possibility of future violence should the current power-sharing arrangement collapse¹⁴.

President Mwai Kibaki and opposition¹⁵ leader Raila Odinga signed an agreement last week that calls for a coalition¹⁶ government that would give Mr. Odinga the new post of prime minister. The parliament is set to reopen Thursday, and will begin considering the power-sharing deal.

On Tuesday, Mr. Odinga and Mr. Kibaki agreed on a plan for reforming Kenya's constitution.

1 enacting   

制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Generally these statutes apply only to wastes from reactors outside the enacting state. 总之，这些法令只适宜用在对付那些来自外州的核废料。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• In addition, the complexion of enacting standards for live working is described. 另外，介绍了带电作业标准的制订情况。

2 reminders   

n.令人回忆起…的东西( reminder的名词复数 )；提醒…的东西；（告知该做某事的）通知单；提示信

参考例句：

• The film evokes chilling reminders of the war. 这部电影使人们回忆起战争的可怕场景。
• The strike has delayed the mailing of tax reminders. 罢工耽搁了催税单的投寄。

3 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

4 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

5 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

6 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

7 allied   

adj.协约国的；同盟国的

参考例句：

• Britain was allied with the United States many times in history.历史上英国曾多次与美国结盟。
• Allied forces sustained heavy losses in the first few weeks of the campaign.同盟国在最初几周内遭受了巨大的损失。

8 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网

9 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

10 disperse   

vi.使分散；使消失；vt.分散；驱散

参考例句：

• The cattle were swinging their tails to disperse the flies.那些牛甩动着尾巴驱赶苍蝇。
• The children disperse for the holidays.孩子们放假了。

11 outfit   

n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装

参考例句：

• Jenney bought a new outfit for her daughter's wedding.珍妮为参加女儿的婚礼买了一套新装。
• His father bought a ski outfit for him on his birthday.他父亲在他生日那天给他买了一套滑雪用具。

12 sect   

n.派别，宗教，学派，派系

参考例句：

• When he was sixteen he joined a religious sect.他16岁的时候加入了一个宗教教派。
• Each religious sect in the town had its own church.该城每一个宗教教派都有自己的教堂。

13 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

14 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

15 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

16 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。