US, UK: End violence in Kenya
2008-01-02 11:15
London - Kenyan leaders must call on their followers to end the violence that has wracked the East African nation since the country's disputed presidential vote, the United States and Britain say in a joint statement.
British foreign secretary David Miliband and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said their immediate priorities were supporting a political compromise in Kenya and finding a way to stop the bloodshed that had claimed more than 275 lives in what was considered one of Africa's most stable democracies.
Their joint statement noted that "there are independent reports of serious irregularities in the counting process", but said their immediate focus would be engineering a compromise between President Mwai Kibaki.
Kibaki was inaugurated for a second term on Sunday after a vote that critics said was rigged, and opposition candidate Raila Odinga, who had accused Kibaki of perpetrating genocide.
"We pledge the diplomatic and political efforts of our two countries to support reconciliation and national unity at this vital time for Kenya and the region," the statement said.
- AP