VOA英语2010年-Leaked Cables Detail Kenya's Role in Arming

The latest batch¹ of secret diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks is shedding new light on Kenya's role in the controversial sale of arms to the government of South Sudan.

The tidal wave of controversy² surrounding the release of classified US cables has finally hit Kenyan shores. On Thursday, WikiLeaks released several secret communiqués from the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi that further illuminated³ Kenya's long-suspected role in arming Southern Sudan.

The arrangement had been embarrassingly exposed in 2008 when the M/V Faina - a Belize flagged, Ukrainian Tanker⁴ - was hijacked⁵ by Somali pirates en route to Kenya. The pirates later revealed the ship was carrying 33 Soviet-era Ukranian tanks and other weaponry which was bound for Juba, the capital of Southern Sudan. The M/V Faina was released to Kenyan custody⁶ after a ransom⁷ of $3.2 million was paid.

Vigorous denials were issued by both the Kenyan and Ukrainian governments, who were suspected to be secret partners in arming the fledgling southern government. Kenyan Chief of General Staff General Jeremiah Kianga said the tanks were bound for Kenya's armory⁸.

"They belong to Kenya. I don't need to maintain. What is yours is yours. And you've paid for this defense⁹. It is the business of soldiers to defend you. That defense requires that we procure¹⁰ weapons for that purpose. The procurement¹¹ of weapons is done competitively and, as you know, the world has become a global village."

The recently released diplomatic cables now reveal U.S. suspicions about the cargo's intended destination, as well as conversations held between U.S. and Kenyan officials regarding the M/V Faina.

A cable written in late 2008 by Ambassador Michael Ranneberger described the final destination of Juba as a "poorly kept secret." The cable goes on to explain that Kenya has been involved in arming Southern Sudan since at least 2007, receiving arms shipments and transporting them to Juba via Uganda. Ranneberger explains that military officials were uneasy with the arrangement and indicated their orders came "from the top" - which he interpreted as President Mwai Kibaki.

In another cable from 2009, the U.S. Envoy¹² describes a conversation about the issue with Prime Minister Raila Odinga. In the meeting, Odinga affirms Kenya's commitment to assist the government of South Sudan and speaks of "intense pressure" to deliver the tanks.

The release of these cables comes on the heels of a recently released cable from the U.S. post in Addis Ababa, in Ethiopia. In the cable, U.S. Ambassador John Yates describes Ethiopia's reservations concerning Kenya's "Jubaland Initiative." The initiative also is described by President Meles Zenawi as an "intervention," which the Ethiopian leader compares to the country's 2006 invasion of Somalia.

In one month, Southern Sudan will hold a referendum to decide whether it secedes¹³ from the north. The vote is part of a 2005 peace deal that ended more than 20 years of civil war between the two sides.

Tensions have been rising along with uncertainty¹⁴ over the vote, and many analysts¹⁵ now fear a return to war. Kenya has outwardly positioned itself as neutral, twice inviting¹⁶ international pariah¹⁷ and Sudanese President Omar al Bashir to the country in the face of global protest. It remains¹⁸ to be seen how the release of the secret cables will affect Kenya's role in Africa's largest country.

1 batch   

n.一批(组，群)；一批生产量

参考例句：

• The first batch of cakes was burnt.第一炉蛋糕烤焦了。
• I have a batch of letters to answer.我有一批信要回复。

2 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

3 illuminated   

adj.被照明的；受启迪的

参考例句：

• Floodlights illuminated the stadium. 泛光灯照亮了体育场。
• the illuminated city at night 夜幕中万家灯火的城市

4 tanker   

n.油轮

参考例句：

• The tanker took on 200,000 barrels of crude oil.油轮装载了二十万桶原油。
• Heavy seas had pounded the tanker into three parts.汹涌的巨浪把油轮撞成三载。

5 hijacked   

劫持( hijack的过去式和过去分词 )； 绑架； 拦路抢劫； 操纵（会议等，以推销自己的意图）

参考例句：

• The plane was hijacked by two armed men on a flight from London to Rome. 飞机在从伦敦飞往罗马途中遭到两名持械男子劫持。
• The plane was hijacked soon after it took off. 那架飞机起飞后不久被劫持了。

6 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。

7 ransom   

n.赎金，赎身；v.赎回，解救

参考例句：

• We'd better arrange the ransom right away.我们最好马上把索取赎金的事安排好。
• The kidnappers exacted a ransom of 10000 from the family.绑架者向这家人家勒索10000英镑的赎金。

8 armory   

n.纹章，兵工厂，军械库

参考例句：

• Nuclear weapons will play a less prominent part in NATO's armory in the future.核武器将来在北约的军械中会起较次要的作用。
• Every March the Armory Show sets up shop in New York.每年三月，军械博览会都会在纽约设置展场。

9 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。

10 procure   

vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条

参考例句：

• Can you procure some specimens for me?你能替我弄到一些标本吗？
• I'll try my best to procure you that original French novel.我将尽全力给你搞到那本原版法国小说。

11 procurement   

n.采购；获得

参考例句：

• He is in charge of the procurement of materials.他负责物资的采购。
• More and more,human food procurement came to have a dominant effect on their evolution.人类获取食物愈来愈显著地影响到人类的进化。

12 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

13 secedes   

v.脱离，退出( secede的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

14 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

15 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

16 inviting   

adj.诱人的，引人注目的

参考例句：

• An inviting smell of coffee wafted into the room.一股诱人的咖啡香味飘进了房间。
• The kitchen smelled warm and inviting and blessedly familiar.这间厨房的味道温暖诱人，使人感到亲切温馨。

17 pariah   

n.被社会抛弃者

参考例句：

• Shortly Tom came upon the juvenile pariah of the village.不一会儿，汤姆碰上了村里的少年弃儿。
• His landlady had treated him like a dangerous criminal,a pariah.房东太太对待他就像对待危险的罪犯、对待社会弃儿一样。

18 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。