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EU aid commissioner visiting
Kenya
Sat 19 Jan 2008, 11:49 GMT]
BRUSSELS, Jan 19 (Reuters) - European Union Aid Commissioner Louis
Michel is in Kenya to assess the situation after last month's
disputed election, his spokesman said on Saturday.
"Commissioner Michel's principal aim is to gather further
information on the situation first hand by listening to all sides,"
spokesman John Clancy said.
Michel is to meet President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader
Raila Odinga.
About 650 people have been killed since Kibaki won a disputed Dec.
27 election, mostly in police action against banned protests and
attacks on tribes seen as backing him.
Odinga says Kibaki stole the closest-ever election in the east
African nation from him. International observers say the count was
so chaotic it was impossible to tell who won, and the government
says the ODM also rigged votes.
The EU is reviewing its relations with Kenya, and studying which
actions to take if current African mediation efforts fail.
The European Parliament said on Thursday the bloc should freeze
budgetary aid to Kenya until the crisis was solved.
The wealthy bloc is one of Nairobi's top donors, providing 290
million euros ($425 million) between 2002 and 2007.
A further 383 million euros of EU aid to Kenya is planned for
2008-2013, a third of which is budgetary aid. (reporting by Ingrid
Melander)
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