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Kenya opposition says will stop
protests
Fri 18 Jan 2008, 6:19 GMT
By Daniel Wallis
NAIROBI (Reuters) - Opposition street protests over the disputed
re-election of Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki will end after
demonstrations planned for Friday, a spokesman said.
At least eight people have been shot dead by police during two
days of demonstrations called by Raila Odinga, leader of the
opposition Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), who says President
Mwai Kibaki stole his victory.
"These last three days have been very painful and we have seen a
lot of needless deaths and suffering ... but today is the last day
of the protests and we are now going to move on," ODM spokesman
Salim Lone said.
Kenya's rapid slide into crisis since the December 27 election has
dented its democratic credentials, horrified world powers, scared
off tourists and hurt one of Africa's most promising economies.
Lone said ODM would switch to other forms of action like small
strikes and boycotts of companies run by what he called government
hardliners backing Kibaki.
"One of the purposes is to weaken the hardliners and strengthen
the moderates," Lone said, mentioning Brookside Dairies, Equity
Bank and CityHoppa Buses as possible targets.
With talks led by African leaders producing little so far, more
ODM demonstrations were due on Friday and a likely flashpoint was
the mostly Muslim coastal resort of Mombasa.
Odinga's supporters have already fought running battles there with
police firing teargas, and vowed to take to the streets again
after Friday prayers. On Thursday, Odinga said officers also
killed seven people in Nairobi.
"The civilized nations of the world must condemn these sorts of
things," Odinga told a news conference. "Mr. Kibaki should not be
allowed to follow Mr. (Robert) Mugabe and take Kenya to the
cesspit."
'MOB PSYCHOLOGY'
Police deny targeting anyone and say the security forces have shot
only looters and rioters who attacked their officers.
The government also accuses ODM of organising and planning attacks
against tribes and people seen as backing Kibaki, which
contributed to a death toll after three weeks of unrest of around
650 people.
The authorities have banned three days of rallies called by ODM
despite calls from Western nations, including the United States
and Britain, for it to allow peaceful protests.
The government says tempers are too high and that it fears rallies
would degenerate into looting and rioting. Such was the case on
Thursday when people in Odinga's Nairobi constituency hijacked and
looted a train passing through.
"We are dealing with mob psychology ... The Kenyan police are
acting within the laws of this country," police spokesman Eric
Kiraithe told reporters on Thursday.
Both Odinga and Kibaki's teams accuse the other of rigging votes
during the December 27 poll, which international observers say
fell short of democratic standards. A quarter of a million Kenyans
have been uprooted by the post-election violence.
Late on Thursday, the United States blamed both sides of the
political divide for the violence.
"That violence springs from the fact that there are clashes
because of the political deadlock," U.S. State Department
spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters.
"More than anything else they need to come together for the Kenyan
people and for Kenya's future."
Former U.N. head Kofi Annan is due to lead the latest peace push
after African Union talks failed last week. He was set to fly in
this week but fell ill with flu. The United Nations says he is
recovering but has given no date for his arrival.
Late on Thursday, local broadcaster KTN said two other members of
Annan's team of "Eminent Africans" had arrived in Kenya -- former
Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa, and Graca Machel, wife of
former South African leader Nelson Mandela.
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