AU wants political solution
2008-01-28 00:23
Addis Ababa - African Union chief Alpha Oumar Konare on Sunday called for a political solution in Kenya, expressing concern about post-election violence that has killed more than 900 people to date.
Referring to a message citing human rights violations sent by Kofi Annan, the former United Nations secretary general currently in Kenya to mediate a solution to the crisis, Konare said: "We are concerned about this situation."
"One talks of genocide... what role did Rwanda serve?" he asked, referring to another East African country split by ethnic warfare in which Hutu extremists slaughtered roughly 800 000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus in 1994.
Konare was speaking to African foreign ministers gathered ahead of an AU summit that begins on Thursday in the Ethiopian capital.
While calling on the AU to support Kenya in finding a political solution, Konare added: "(The answer) cannot just be a power sharing one.
"If the democratic process is only about sharing the cake, we will never have peace because there will always be those who are discontented."
Rather, he said, it was necessary to "reaffirm the principles of good governance and not of indifference, to fight against violence. We cannot close our eyes and ears".
Latent disputes
Once one of Africa's most stable nations, Kenya has witnessed nationwide fighting since the disputed re-election of President Mwai Kibaki last month.
Latent ethnic and land disputes have fuelled revenge killings in western Kenya between Kibaki's Kikuyu tribe and members of the Luo and Kalenjin ethnic groups, who support his election rival Raila Odinga.
At least 14 people burned to death in their homes in fresh ethnic clashes in Kenya's Rift Valley on Sunday, overshadowing Annan's mediation efforts.
Nine people also were killed earlier in fighting between gangs of youths in the Rift Valley town of Naivasha, bringing the death toll in the western region to 130 since Thursday.
Besides the hundreds killed, more than 250 000 people have been displaced in regions mostly west of Nairobi.