The United Nations is set to fire Alice Wairimu Nderitu, its Special Advisor on the Prevention of Genocide, following her controversial comment that Israel’s action in Gaza cannot be considered genocide.
According to the Wall Street Journal, one of the leading publications in the United States, the multinational humanitarian organisation was hesitant to renew Wairimu’s contract hence leaning towards letting her go.
The publication referenced Wairimu’s initial post on when to refer to a situation as genocide, from which the United Nations based its argument. In the controversial article by the special advisor, she states that the clarification was important since the term is mostly misused.
Nderitu noted that genocide encompasses a Holocaust such as the one perpetrated by the Hutus against the Tutsis in Rwanda, the attack on Bosnian Muslims by the Serbians, and the deaths witnessed in Sudan.
However, regarding the killings perpetrated by Israel, Wairimu noted that the consistent pattern of violence committed by the Israeli soldiers cannot be classified as genocide.
The publication, in its editorial letter, therefore, termed Nderitu’s imminent dismissal as a political move as the United Nations normally prefers renewing contracts for such special advisors even before their contracts expire.
However, during a press briefing on Tuesday, November 26, the UN clarified that Nderitu was not penalised for calling Israel's violence on Hamas a genocide but rather, she had served her full term and thus required to retire based on the rules.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’s Deputy Spokesperson Farah Haq clarified that it would be unusual for Wairimu to serve for two terms after completing her first term.
"That’s false. Ms Nderitu’s contract is coming to an end today, but she has now fulfilled her full term, and the secretary-general certainly appreciates the work that she did,” Haq said.
“But regarding the definition of genocide, any idea that the secretary-general wanted her term to end because of that is just false," he added.
In November 2020, Antonio Guterres announced the appointment of Alice Wairimu as a Special Advisor of the UN on Genocide, she replaced Adama Dieng of Senegal.
Wairimu was appointed to the prestigious role following her efforts in peacebuilding and violence prevention, having led mediation teams and reconciliation councils among communities in Kenya.
