Negotiations Continue in Hopes of Ending Kenyan Political Unrest
By VOA News
10 January 2008
Foreign mediators in Kenya are pressing ahead with efforts to end post-election turmoil that has killed more than 500 people.
In Nairobi Thursday, opposition leader Raila Odinga held talks with the chairman of the African Union, Ghanaian President John Kufuor. Four former African heads of state were also involved in the talks, along with several diplomats, including Jendayi Frazer, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for African affairs.
As the talks progressed, police fired tear gas to disperse around 100 women protesters who accused President Mwai Kibaki of stealing last month's presidential election.
Elsewhere, a group of Kibaki allies were sworn in as Cabinet ministers today in a closed-door ceremony. The ministers' appointment on Tuesday sparked renewed violence in parts of the country. None of the Cabinet officials are members of Mr. Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement party.
The opposition denounced the appointments as evidence Mr. Kibaki is unwilling to negotiate an end to the crisis.
AU Chairman Kufuor met with Mr. Odinga and President Kibaki separately on Wednesday. Mr. Kibaki issued a statement saying he assured his Ghanaian counterpart that he will continue to reach out to other Kenyan political leaders.
Mr. Odinga has turned down the president's offer to hold face-to-face talks, saying he would do so only in the presence of an international mediator.
Kenya exploded in violence after the country's electoral commission named Mr. Kibaki the winner of the December 27 election. The United States, European Union, and several members of the commission have questioned the election results.
The fighting has mainly been carried out between members of Mr. Odinga's Luo tribe and Mr. Kibaki's Kikuyu tribe.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
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