(Daily Nation) An attempt by North Korea to establish a diplomatic mission in Nairobi has been turned down. The rebuff projects the view that Kenya does not want to be seen to be warming up to the world’s pariah state.Diplomatic sources within the United Nations Office in Nairobi have indicated that the UN mounted pressure on Nairobi to reject the move by North Koreans, despite officials from that country visiting Nairobi twice.
On Sunday though, the government denied that North Korea, formally known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), has made the application.
“That is not true. North Korea did not make such a request,” Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho told the Nation.
However, our source at the UN says two delegations came to Nairobi in November last year and in early March, seeking favours and, hopefully, start a process of establishing a diplomatic post in Nairobi.
“The delegations had very powerful officials in the government of North Korea.
“They sought to speak with Foreign Ministry officials over the possibility of establishing an embassy,” the source said.
“The UN suggested against it and there was further pressure from other countries who voiced similar concerns,” the diplomat added, while clarifying that North Korea did not put the request in writing.
PARIAH STATE
North Korea has been a pariah state for some time, given its nuclear weapons programme and global concerns over its human rights record.
In February 2014, the UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in North Korea released a report in which it gave horrendous details of crimes against humanity.
The UN experts documented torture, extrajudicial executions, starvation and mass imprisonments, before recommending that North Korea’s leaders be charged at the International Criminal Court.
North Korea called the findings a “fuss” but the UN has recommended an imposition of targeted sanctions on Pyongyang.
