OK. So you’re Kofi Annan, and you’re asked if you wouldn’t mind popping in to Kenya for a spot of
political mediation. The
two parties are at loggerheads, each is utterly convinced that God is on their side, and the expectations of their supporters are sky-high.Trust and respect have disappeared, resentment crackles. A never-ending stream of hostile-aggressive statements flows, in the full glare of the delighted media. Positions become more and more entrenched, as both sides are filled with the righteousness of their case.Where do you start? One thing’s for sure. It’s a lot more than enjoying ‘a cup of tea’ with the protagonists – or rather antagonists. First, you need to get educated on what their positions are. What are the problems? And how did they come about? They didn’t just start yesterday, and many are buried deep in history. (‘It was the colonials’; ‘it started at independence’.)Why do the two sides feel so aggrieved? When you start listening to them you will hear perfectly ‘reasonable’ cases being put. ‘We’re OK, they’re perfectly awful’; ‘if only they could come to their senses’; ‘if only they would agree to what we so justifiably want.’ Any time you represent the opposing view they’ll launch into what they believe to be a conclusive ‘Yes, but…’rebuttal.Patience, Mr Mediator, patience. And calm. Above all listen — empathetically, and don’t rush to judgements. There are two sides to every coin, and even if you begin to feel more for one side over the other the last thing you can afford to do is to let it show.
Having said that, you’ll in any case be accused by each side of being against them — if only because from time to time you will need to play devil’s advocate as you give resistance to their case.You’ll of course find out what other stakeholders think about it all — the professionals, civil society, the religious leaders, the Wanjikus, the diplomats. See what advice these local people have for you, as you parachute into this cauldron where angels fear to tread. They will make you wiser, taking you back in time and deep under the surface. They will caution you on the local dos and don’ts. But don’t be unduly inhibited by them.Then, you must gauge the extent to which there is the
political will to engage, to resolve, without which you’ll be unable to make any impact. Well, if those in Southern Sudan, Somalia, Northern Ireland and elsewhere could reach agreement (eventually!), why can’t you do so with Kibaki and Raila? Of course you yourself must be credible, impartial, strong and skilled, and you must mobilise the citizens of Kenya behind you, in as close as possible to one voice.With whom should you first meet? The principals? Those close to them? With how many people should you engage, so as to make your consultations inclusive enough but without ending up having to consult with the whole population?Very early on you will need to agree the rules of engagement, a disciplined way in which structured, systematic dialogue can take place. One of the first things here will be to agree the agenda — no mean feat in itself, as one side’s idea of what should and shouldn’t be there, how it should be worded, and in what sequence the items should be handled, is likely to be quite different from the other’s.The negotiating teams must be defined, with their terms of reference, and an assurance that they are adequately empowered to make decisions. The code of conduct should also be agreed — not that they’ll keep to it, but at least you can refer to the document! And what should this contain? Things like agreeing to listen openly and respectfully to one another; minimising the use of sentences that start with ‘but’; and having an attitude of win-win rather than win-lose.As important as anything is having a disciplined approach to information disclosure. Who is authorised to sign off press releases and address press conferences? What is the Kenya we want — for all of us — a peaceful, prosperous and well-governed country run