|
Kenya toll above 1 500
25/02/2008 17:01 - (SA)
Nairobi - More than 1 500 people have died in Kenyan unrest since the disputed re-election of President Mwai Kibaki in December, police said on Monday, a sharp rise on the previous toll of at least 1 000.
"Our figures indicate that more than 1 500 have been killed in tribal fighting, political rioting and everything that was associated with the elections," a senior police commander told AFP on condition of anonymity.
Riots erupted in opposition stronghold towns mainly in western Kenya and slums in the capital Nairobi when Kibaki was sworn in for a second term on December 30, three days after the general elections.
The violence tapped into simmering resentment over land, poverty and the dominance of the Kikuyu, Kibaki's tribe, in Kenyan politics and business since independence from Britain in 1963.
Opposition Orange Democratic Movement leader Raila Odinga accused Kibaki of rigging his way to victory in the country's closest-ever presidential contest.
Mediation talks led by former United Nations chief Kofi Annan that begun last month have yet to yield a breakthrough, but government and opposition negotiators are currently discussing details of a power-sharing deal.
Relative stability has returned in the country, although the opposition has threatened fresh demonstrations on Wednesday if Kibaki fails to recall parliament to enact constitutional amendments in order to share power.
- AFP
|
News
