AU calls for calm in Kenya
2008-01-01 22:29
Addis Ababa - The African Union on Tuesday called for restraint and dialogue in Kenya, which is experiencing a deep political and security crisis following President Mwai Kibaki's contested re-election.
"If there are resorts, they should be used rather than taking to the streets or launching a tough repression," AU Commission chairperson Alpha Oumar Konare told AFP by phone.
A separate AU statement said: "The African Union Commission is seriously preoccupied with the recent happening in Kenya due to the presidential elections as well as the violence that followed the announcement of the results."
Defeated challenger Raila Odinga has accused Kibaki of stealing the win by rigging the tallying process, sparking riots and tribal killings that have left more than 300 people dead.
"The Commission hereby invites the parties concerned to be calm and to resort to dialogue and consultation in order to deal with the problems caused by the recent elections," the statement added.
Odinga claims to be the country's legitimate president while Kibaki, who was sworn in less than an hour after the electoral commission declared him the winner on Sunday, has vowed to crack down on protests.