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Germany, EU Welcome Kenya
Power-Sharing Deal
DPA
28. Februar 2008
German and EU officials applauded a deal reached by Kenya's
president and opposition leader to create a power-sharing
government on Thursday, Feb. 28. Britain said it would sponsor a
donor summit for the African nation.
In a bid to end a post-election crisis that plunged Kenya into its
worst turmoil since independence, President Mwai Kibaki and rival
Raila Odinga signed a deal on Thursday to create a power-sharing
government.
"We have a deal," mediator and former United Nations
Secretary-General Kofi Annan said. "Compromise was necessary for
the survival of this country ... they kept the future of Kenya
always in their sights and reached a common position for the good
of the nation."
The United States, Britain and the European Union applauded the
deal, which they had pushed to be inked as soon as possible in
order to end bitter negotiations and outbreaks of violence around
the country in the past month.
EU Commissioner for Development Louis Michel spoke of a "great day
for Kenya and its people," and praised Annan's tireless efforts as
a mediator in the crisis.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier also welcomed
Thursday's deal.
"Kenya has grasped the opportunity to resolve its political crisis
peacefully and to return to stability," he said.
In order to help the new government to its feet, British Prime
Minister Gordon Brown said he would sponsor a donor summit to
provide aid to Kenya.
"We'd be prepared in London to host a donors conference to make
sure Kenya has the best chance to build upon this power-sharing
agreement, to restore tourism (and) get the economy moving again,"
he told reporters after speaking to Annan.
Ethnic clashes resulted from disputed election
Kibaki's disputed reelection on Dec. 27, 2007 triggered unrest
that killed some 1,000 people and forced 300,000 more to flee
their homes.
Thursday's deal creates a new prime minister's post for Odinga,
who has sought that job since he first helped Kibaki to power in
2002.
The deal also assigns cabinet posts based on each party's strength
in parliament, and creates two deputy prime minister positions,
one for each side of the coalition.
"As a nation, there are more issues that unite than divide us,"
said Kibaki after the signing. "We've been reminded that we must
do all in our power to safeguard the peace that is the foundation
of our national unity."
Odinga said after the signing that a new chapter in Kenya's
history had been opened, "from the era of confrontation to the
beginning of cooperation."
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