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Kufuor begins Kenya mediation
09/01/2008 13:11 - (SA)
Nairobi - Ghanaian President and current African Union (AU) Chairperson John Kufuor began on Wednesday mediation efforts in Kenya between rival political factions at odds since disputed December 27 presidential elections.
Kufuor met with Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki and was scheduled to meet later with opposition leader Raila Odinga, who had rejected Kibaki's re-election.
Odinga had accused the incumbent of rigging the December polls and the opposition had refused to accept Kibaki's victory. Post-election violence between supporters of both factions divided along ethnic lines had led to as many as 500 deaths.
In a statement from Kibaki's office the Kenyan president said he told Kufuor that his highest priority was a resumption of political dialogue and a peaceful solution to the crisis.
Kufuor involved in conflict resolution
Kibaki had invited Odinga and other opposition figures to reconciliation talks planned for Friday. Odinga had said he would only speak to Kibaki with Kufuor present as mediator.
Kufuor was previously involved in conflict resolution in Liberia and the Ivory Coast.
Meanwhile, Kibaki on Tuesday announced a new cabinet in a surprise move, saying it constituted broad-based leadership from across the political spectrum. Members of Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party were not included in the cabinet.
News of the cabinet led to small protests and unrest in Nairobi's slums and in the west of the country, but they were nothing like the scale of protests seen after the elections results were announced.
Sapa-dpa
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