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Seven killed in Kenya's new
deadly, ethnic clashes
20.01.2008
NAIROBI (AFP) — Seven people were killed, many of them Sunday, in
clashes in the Kenyan capital and western region as the country
reeled from deadly opposition protests against President Mwai
Kibaki's re-election, police said.
Police recovered three bodies in Nairobi's Mathare slums after
overnight clashes between rival gangs, bringing to 45 the number
of deaths over the past five days of unrest.
Police commander Paul Ruto said a man was hacked the death in
Sunday afternoon fighting, bring the Mathare toll to four.
"Members of one community started terrorising members of the rival
community," Ruto said.
"These people are criminals. They are armed with pangas and
pistols but our officers are on the ground," Ruto added.
Police said the fighting erupted after members of Kibaki's Kikuyu
tribe started to evict those of opposition chief Raila Odinga's
Luo tribe from the slum, where the two tribes have been clashing
in recent weeks over the disputed polls.
Security forces shot dead three suspected arsonists in Kipkelion
area in the Rift Valley province, which has been hit by post-poll
rioting and tribal fighting, police said.
"The three were shot dead at night as police dispersed protestors
who had gathered near the junction to demand the release of the
six," said a witness who requested anonymity.
Odinga claims he was robbed of the presidency by Kibaki in the
December 27 elections that fell short of international standards,
according to foreign observer groups.
Three days of opposition protests that began on Wednesday provoked
a fierce crackdown by anti-riot and paramilitary police, and some
unarmed civilians were shot down in the capital and the western
city of Kisumu.
By Sunday calm returned in several towns across the country that
had been hit by rioting, but there were fears of revenge killings
and other crimes, mainly in the crowded shantytowns.
Odinga, who attended a church service in Nairobi's
violence-scarred Kibera slums, said he was open to dialogue as
former United Nations chief Kofi Annan was set to arrive in Kenya
Tuesday to push for a settlement between the feuding sides.
The government has rejected mediation efforts, insisting there is
no crisis in the country, but has welcomed African leaders to
facilitate dialogue.
"Without justice there can be no peace, without peace there can be
no unity, without unity there can't be a nation and development.
The people of this country have to come together," Odinga said.
"We want to embrace dialogue... We shall overcome," he said before
touring the shantytown that he represents in parliament.
Kibaki, in a statement released late Saturday, "stressed that
security of the country was paramount and the government will
continue beefing up security in affected areas to ensure the lives
of wananchi (people) and their property are protected."
Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party on Saturday called
for another day of peaceful protests next week despite accusing
police of killing people who participated in last week's
demonstrations.
The ODM on Friday said it would end the protests because civilians
were paying too heavy a price, saying it was switching to a "new
phase" including a boycott of large companies owned by Kibaki's
allies.
On Thursday members of the European Parliament called for a freeze
in EU aid to Kenya until the current political crisis is resolved,
but there were no indications that the body could make such a move.
Nine Western governments, including Australia, Britain and Canada,
said security forces should "exercise their duties strictly within
the boundaries of law and desist from any extraordinary or
disproportionate use of force and, in particular, the killing of
unarmed protestors."
Police said they were operating within the bounderies of law, but
warned of more crackdowns if the opposition continues to
demonstrate.
The United States has also condemned the violence and called for
negotiations to start in earnest.
The EU's development commissioner Louis Michel on Saturday met
separately Odinga and Kibaki and said that a solution to the
crisis could be found with "a little political will".
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