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Kenya Lifts Ban on Public
Rallies, while certain peace progress is made
Friday February 8, 2008
NAIROBI (AP) - Kenya's minister of internal security lifted the
ban on public rallies imposed after an eruption of violence over
the country's disputed presidential election.
Minister George Saitoti said the move Friday came because ``security
has generally improved.'' He urged legislators and others to hold
meetings ``to promote peace and national reconciliation'' and not
use rallies as ``avenues to incite violence.''
Former U.N. chief Kofi Annan, who is mediating talks between
Kenya's political rivals, said Friday they were making progress on
a deal to end weeks of postelection bloodshed but no power-sharing
agreement had been reached yet.
Earlier, opposition lawmaker William Ruto claimed the two sides
would form a joint government but were still discussing who would
lead it and what roles each party would play. But Annan said that
``was jumping the gun.''
``We are making progress,'' Annan said, noting that both President
Mwai Kibaki and his rival Raila Odinga had agreed that Kenya needs
a ``political settlement'' to the crisis.
More than 1,000 people have been killed and 300,000 driven from
their homes in fighting since the Dec. 27 election that has often
pitted many of the East African country's myriad ethnic groups
against one another.
International and domestic observers heavily criticized the vote
tallying process.
Odinga originally said that only new elections would bring peace,
while Kibaki maintained his position as president was not
negotiable. The two came under international pressure to form a
power-sharing government.
On Thursday, Odinga retreated from his earlier calls that Kibaki
should step down.
``We are saying that we are willing to give and take. Initially
our stand was that we won the elections, and Mr. Kibaki lost the
elections, he should resign, and we should be sworn in, but we
have said that we are not static on that point,'' Odinga told
reporters.
Annan said Friday he hoped they would complete their work by early
next week, but declined to give further details on what form the
settlement might take.
``We had a very good session today. There is no doubt about it.
And I think it gives grounds for optimism .... But, the issues are
still on the table and we will go back to them on Monday.''
The two sides had agreed to call a meeting of parliament next week
so that lawmakers could be briefed on progress, Annan added.
Speaking at a prayer meeting in Nairobi earlier Friday, Kibaki
said he was ``encouraged'' by progress in talks and reiterated ``my
personal support and that of my entire government to this process.''
But some opposition supporters insist they will not back down
until Odinga is named president.
``We won, we can't agree. We want our rights, we will go back to
the streets,'' said Evans Omogi, a driver in the western city of
Kisumu, the scene of much of the worst violence.
Meanwhile, around 5,000 people fled a makeshift camp for those
displaced by the violence in the western town Kericho, fearing
violence ahead of Saturday's funeral for an opposition lawmaker
slain last week. Only about 1,000 people were left in the camp,
said Red Cross official Susan Onyango.
Kericho's main street was packed with families hastily piling
furniture onto government lorries provided to take them to areas
where their ethnic group was predominant.
The slain legislator was killed in what the opposition described
as a political assassination, but which police said was a crime of
passion by a traffic policeman who believed his girlfriend was
involved with the politician. The killing had sparked attacks on
the policeman's ethnic group, the Kisii.
On Thursday, the U.S. added to the international pressure by
threatening to bar Kenyan politicians and businessmen alleged to
have played a role in the bloodshed from visiting the United
States, a move that ``hit a nerve,'' the U.S. ambassador said.
Politicians and businessmen are among those accused of financing
or backing the violence.
``People are paying 4,000 shillings ($60) to burn down a house,''
U.S. Ambassador Michael Ranneberger said in an interview.
Washington sent letters to 10 politicians and businessmen
suspected of supporting or inciting violence, Ranneberger said.
U.S. State Department spokesman Tom Casey said the letters were
sent to eight people. The discrepancy could not immediately be
explained. Both declined to name the targets but Ranneberger said
the review also would affect the immediate families of those
affected.
Casey said the visa reviews probably would take place over the
next few days and were directed at ``more regional figures'' than
top officials from both major political movements. Ranneberger
said the U.S. could target top officials if the violence that has
devastated the economy and undermined Kenya's democratic
credentials continued.
Both Kibaki's government and the opposition welcomed the U.S.
decision and insisted they had nothing to do with the violence.
But Kenyan human rights groups, foreign observers and diplomats
say there is ample evidence that both parties helped incite and
orchestrate attacks.
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