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Renewed ethnic clashes hit Kenya
20.01.2008
NAIROBI, Kenya (CNN) -- Diplomatic efforts to solve the violent
fallout from Kenya's disputed elections continued over the weekend
with a visit from the European Union's development commissioner
Louis Michel, who met with President Mwai Kibaki and opposition
leader Raila Odinga.
"We had a very nice discussion about the political situation in
the country, the crisis that we are having," Odinga said after the
Saturday meeting. "We told him our point of view."
Michel, meanwhile, said that the lack of stability in the nation "is
good news for the extremists and anti-democratic forces."
"President Kibaki, of course, recognizes that there is a serious
problem in his country," Michel said. "He is very concerned about
that. There is a need for dialogue, cooling down and trying to get
peaceful solutions. But he also knows that substantial problems
have to be resolved."
Kenyan media reported that marauding youths armed with spears,
bows and arrows and machetes were destroying homes around the town
of Eldoret, near the border with Uganda.
The Kenyan Sunday Nation newspaper quoted the local district
commissioner Abdi Halake, who said that six people were killed and
50 houses were burned to the ground in the weekend violence.
The Rift Valley town of Eldoret has been the scene of much of the
post-election violence, which has resulted in at least 600 deaths
and driven thousands from their homes.
Michel's trip came ahead of the arrival of an African Union
delegation led by Kofi Annan expected Tuesday. The former U.N.
Secretary General will try to mediate between the warring
political factions. His visit was delayed after he was struck down
with flu.
Kenya, long one of the most stable and economically developed
nations in East Africa, descended into chaos after the elections.
Kibaki was re-elected in balloting that was thought to be rigged
by many of his opponents. The result sparked widespread ethnically
related violence.
Supporters of Kibaki, a member of the Kikuyu tribe, have battled
with supporters of Odinga, a member of the Luo tribe, in bloody
street fights that often involved machetes.
A spokeswoman for the European Commission told CNN Michel's visit
was not an attempt to broker a deal between the two sides.
She said the commissioner was there to "collect first-hand
information" about the situation on the ground in the country and
to stress to both sides the need to co-operate with the African
Union delegation. Michel left the country Saturday, she added.
Odinga's party kept up its protest against the president,
announcing at a press conference Saturday plans for an "economic
boycott" of companies whose directors are perceived to be close
allies of the president, the Sunday Nation reported.
"These individuals are using the wealth they have created from our
open democratic system to undermine the rule of law and democracy
in Kenya," the paper reported party chairman Henry Kosgey as
saying.
Kosgey said on Saturday the party plans to hold its next set of "peaceful
rallies" throughout the nation on Thursday.
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