VOA标准英语2015--肯尼亚石油储藏引爆种族冲突

 

Kenya Oil Deposits Fuel Inter-Communal Conflicts 肯尼亚石油储藏引爆种族冲突

TURKANA, KENYA—

More than two years after Kenya struck oil for the first time in its northern-most county, Turkana, the two ethnic¹ groups that live on either side of the oil reserves are engaging in violent, often deadly, armed conflict. For centuries, they have vied for land and access to water points, but now they want a stake in the oil wealth. In the south of the county, the Turkana community is living in fear of attacks from the neighboring Pokots.

On an early morning in the south of Turkana, community herders gather for security meetings. Armed conflict is nothing new in the area, but since Kenya found oil just 60 kilometers away, the conflict has worsened.

"Currently the conflict with the Pokot is at its worst, said Losinyono Kotol, chief of operations of the Agelis community herders. “In the past it was only cattle raids but now they attack also the villages and displaced people.”

With the two tribes locked in a cycle of retaliatory² violence, negotiation³ will be needed to resolve differences. But some observers, like Kenyan priest Nicolas Kimejov, say that won’t be easy with so much at stake.

"The political leaders told the Pokot, if you fight for us we shall drive this Turkana up to Lokichar. Because their aim now is, since the oil well is there, 'if we attain⁴ this as our property we shall have a monopoly on the property and we can prosper,'” he explained.

Whole villages have been burned to the ground and unarmed civilians⁵ killed. Last year, Lokwar was a busy village with a thriving primary school. Now, neatly⁶ thatched homes have been destroyed, sending a clear warning to the residents not to return, says teacher Paul Idoket Ekitela.

“They are all buried. This is a person," he said motioning toward the ground. " This person was killed coming to this place. He was not fighting but he was digging his shamba [farm]."

The annihilation of villages is new to the more traditional tribal⁷ conflict between the Pokot and the Turkana, which previously⁸ revolved⁹ around livestock¹⁰. Now it is developing into a scorched-earth campaign, a form of land-rustling that works by creating so much insecurity that people move away.

Major oil potential

Caught in the middle of the Pokot-Turkana conflict is the Anglo-Irish exploration company, Tullow Oil, which claims to have found an estimated 600 million barrels of oil beneath Turkana - with potential for a billion in total.

According to Tullow’s Andy Demetriou, to operate in such a sensitive and historically marginalized environment requires oil companies to tread carefully.

"People live off their land, the way they lived hundreds of years ago, in most cases,” he noted¹¹. “Here you have big industry and technology coming in with pastoralist communities. There are always going to be challenges. We are not going to agree on everything.”

Despite its buried wealth, Turkana is the poorest region in Kenya. Oil presents a tremendous opportunity for development. But critics - like Turkana activist¹² Lopeyok Ricardo Simeon - fear that the local communities here are being cut out of the equation by the government in Nairobi.

"The government claims that whatever is beneath the earth, below the surface is theirs. Which is true. But we also need to be consulted, because whatever is embedded¹³ in the earth, we have to be consulted. We are the owners of the land. We also want to have a take in this process,” he said.

As the value of this land grows, so will the incentive¹⁴ and desire to control it. If this conflict is not resolved, Turkana’s black-gold could be a curse rather than a blessing¹⁵.

1 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。

2 retaliatory   

adj.报复的

参考例句：

• The process can take years before the WTO approves retaliatory action. 在WTO通过此行动之前，这个程序恐怕要等上一阵子了。 来自互联网
• Retaliatory tariffs on China are tantamount to taxing ourselves as a punishment. 将惩罚性关税强加于中国相当于对我们自己实施课税惩罚。 来自互联网

3 negotiation   

n.谈判，协商

参考例句：

• They closed the deal in sugar after a week of negotiation.经过一星期的谈判，他们的食糖生意成交了。
• The negotiation dragged on until July.谈判一直拖到7月份。

4 attain   

vt.达到，获得，完成

参考例句：

• I used the scientific method to attain this end. 我用科学的方法来达到这一目的。
• His painstaking to attain his goal in life is praiseworthy. 他为实现人生目标所下的苦功是值得称赞的。

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 neatly   

adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地

参考例句：

• Sailors know how to wind up a long rope neatly.水手们知道怎样把一条大绳利落地缠好。
• The child's dress is neatly gathered at the neck.那孩子的衣服在领口处打着整齐的皱褶。

7 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。

8 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

9 revolved   

v.（使）旋转( revolve的过去式和过去分词 )；细想

参考例句：

• The fan revolved slowly. 电扇缓慢地转动着。
• The wheel revolved on its centre. 轮子绕中心转动。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 livestock   

n.家畜，牲畜

参考例句：

• Both men and livestock are flourishing.人畜两旺。
• The heavy rains and flooding killed scores of livestock.暴雨和大水淹死了许多牲口。

11 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

12 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

13 embedded   

a.扎牢的

参考例句：

• an operation to remove glass that was embedded in his leg 取出扎入他腿部玻璃的手术
• He has embedded his name in the minds of millions of people. 他的名字铭刻在数百万人民心中。

14 incentive   

n.刺激；动力；鼓励；诱因；动机

参考例句：

• Money is still a major incentive in most occupations.在许多职业中，钱仍是主要的鼓励因素。
• He hasn't much incentive to work hard.他没有努力工作的动机。

15 blessing   

n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿

参考例句：

• The blessing was said in Hebrew.祷告用了希伯来语。
• A double blessing has descended upon the house.双喜临门。