28 Feb 2013

GENEVA / ADAMA DIENG

United Nations Special Adviser on the prevention of genocide, Adama Dieng calls for peace in the up-coming General Election inKenya and says he remains optimistic that disputes emanating from the elections should be resolved in the courts and not through violence. OHCHR

Posted at: February 28, 2013 2:44 pm

Duration: 02:42

Available in: SD

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STORY: GENEVA / ADAMA DIENG
TRT: 2.42
SOURCE: UN Human Rights Geneva
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 28 FEBRUARY 2013, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

SHOTLIST:

FILE – PALAIS DES NATIONS, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

1. Wide shot, exterior Palais des Nations

28 FEBRUARY 2013, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

2. Wide shot, Adama Dieng walking to the HRC at the Palais des Nations
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Adama Dieng UN Special Adviser on the prevention of Genocide: 
"Everything has to be done so that at the end of this electoral process whoever is defeated if he or she is not happy, he should go before the court and principles of the rule of law will prevail. What will not be acceptable is that people go on the streets to fight their anger.  So we are closely monitoring and I am extremely glad to see the civil society in Kenya is very vibrant.  At the end of the day Kenya should remain one country, one people, and my dream is to see that country turning from tribalism to become a true nation."
4. Med shot, Adama Dieng with other officials at the HRC entrance
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Adama Dieng UN Special Adviser on the prevention of Genocide: 
"You may have the most beautiful constitution but it needs to be implemented.  That is why we are insisting that all those institutions which have been established by the new constitution operate in a total independence and objectivity."
6. Pan right, Human Rights Council 
7. Med shot, Adama Dieng at podium
8. Close up, camera view finder showing Adama Dieng delivering his speech
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Adama Dieng UN Special Adviser on the prevention of Genocide: 
"Unfortunately, 70,000 people have been killed so far. We hope that the international community will act timely before the situation deteriorates further. And I say deterioration, because even tomorrow if the Assad regime falls my fear is that the Alawite community identified as being close with Assad may become a target,  the Christian minority maybe less, but still that is why we are calling on the international  community, to make every effort so that the people of Syria get together tomorrow through a justice process locally but also we should not exclude a referral to the international criminal court for those who have committed the most serious crimes."
10. Wide shot, Adama Dieng delivering his speech with view of the HRC ceiling

STORYLINE:

United Nations (UN) Special Adviser on the prevention on Genocide, Adama Dieng, today (28 February) in Geneva called for a peaceful General Election in Kenya next week.

During an UN interview prior to addressing delegates at the Human Rights Council, Dieng talked about the up-coming elections in Kenya and said that at the end of the electoral process whoever is defeated, "if he or she is not happy, he should go before the court and principles of the rule of law will prevail".  
Dieng who recently visited the East African country ahead of the forthcoming elections, said violence in the previous elections five years ago prompted his visit.

During his visit, Dieng said he had met with 72 community leaders from all over the country, including leaders from Kenya's Southern Eastern region of Tana River which has recently witnessed violence skirmishes that has left several dead.

The UN Special envoy said his office was closely monitoring the situation, and he hailed Kenya's new constitution adopted three years ago but emphasised the need to observe the rule of law.

He told Kenyan's that, "You may have the most beautiful constitution but it needs to be implemented.  That is why we are insisting that all those institutions which have been established by the new constitution operate in a total independence and objectivity."

Talking about the widespread crisis in Syria he warned of a deteriorating situation there and called for action by the international community.

While noting that 70,000 people had been killed so far, he expressed his hope that the international community would act in a timely manner, the situation deteriorated further.

And taking into account that the Special Adviser is tasked with sounding alarming bells to the International community on possible genocide occurrences, he added, "I say deterioration, because even tomorrow if the Assad regime falls my fear is that the Alawite community identified as being close with Assad may become a target".