Kenya has called for an impartial and prompt United Nations investigation into the atrocities against civilians in Bucha and other towns in Ukraine.
Addressing the UN Security Council, Kenya Ambassador Martin Kimani said no one can doubt there are flagrant violations of international law, international humanitarian law and the UN Charter underway in Ukraine.
“Kenya condemns the abuses that have taken place in the past few weeks, and those in the eastern provinces of the country during the years that the conflict has raged,” Kimani said on Tuesday.
He also warmed that the fact that the truth in Bucha, where hundreds were killed reportedly by Russian troops, is contested is the surest sign the world stands on the precipice of more widespread abuses of human rights.
“In April 1994, even as genocide engulfed Rwanda, there were members of the Security Council contesting the horrifying truth that a million people were being murdered. We should stand warned that the inability of the Council to establish the facts, and accordingly attribute responsibility, may enable the risk of escalation into far worse crimes,” Kimani said.
Kimani was comparing Ukraine and Russia narratives, noting that while Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, described to the UNSC the horrifying suffering of civilians in Bucha and other towns and neighbourhoods in Ukraine, this was in stark contrast to that of the Russia ambassador to the UN.
Ukraine has accused Russia of slaughtering civilians in Bucha, with images and videos of bodies scattered all over emerged after Russia troops withdrew from the region.
Russia has, however, denied the accusations, saying footage and images were fake.
“This information must be seriously questioned,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call. “From what we have seen, our experts have identified signs of video falsification and other fakes.”
Peskov said the facts and chronology of the events in Bucha did not support Ukraine’s version of events and urged international leaders not to rush to judgment
But Ambassador Kimani said UN should seek to prevent what happened in Bucha from taking place in Mariupol and Kherson.
“While we debate who is responsible for the horrors of Bucha, it is incontestable that what started as a special military operation is now a war. And that what begun with reassurances of limited aims, not targeted at civilians, has led to thousands of dead civilians and millions of refugees and internally displaced,” he said.
He maintained Kenya condemns the abuses that have taken place in the past few weeks, and those in the eastern provinces of Ukraine during the years that the conflict has raged.
“Madam President, the war in Ukraine is today’s most dangerous threat to the maintenance of international peace and security. It is the latest assault by the most powerful states against the multilateral order. Their continued abuse of the Charter created growing cracks in the global security order,” he said.
Kenya accuses Russia of assaulting Ukraine’s integrity, territorial integrity
