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Annan: Kenya talks suspended
26/02/2008 18:10 - (SA)
Nairobi - Talks to end Kenya's deadly post-election crisis were suspended on Tuesday after dragging on for weeks with no tangible progress, mediator Kofi Annan said.
Annan, who delivered a sharp rebuke to both sides a day earlier, said he would now speak to President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga personally to try to re-invigorate talks. The two have been under international pressure to share power to move the country beyond their standoff over December 27 presidential elections.
"I hope people will understand this is a move intended to speed up action," Annan said.
Odinga says the election was a sham; Kibaki says it made him the legitimate leader. International and local monitors say the results of the vote were manipulated, making it unclear who would have won.
violence subsided
Post-election violence has largely subsided in recent weeks, but attacks that left more 1 000 dead and forced 600 000 from their homes have left the country on edge. The bloodshed has tarnished the reputation of the country once seen as a beacon of stability in Africa.
The suspension of talks came as international pressure mounted and the opposition threatened to resume nationwide protests this week. Previous protests have turned violent, with dozens killed as police forced back the crowds.
Annan said on Monday that almost no progress had been made in the talks. "I had to conclude that they were not capable of resolving the outstanding issues," he said. Annan said the mediation team "has done its work. I'm now asking the party leaders ... to do theirs."
Negotiators for Kibaki and Odinga have agreed in principle to create a new prime minister's post for the opposition, but sticking points remain over just how much power such a post would carry.
Inching towards a deal
"We've agreed on some issues," Foreign Affairs Minister Moses Wetangula said after a morning negotiating session, declining to give details. "The more we talk the more we get closer to agreeing."
Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement, meanwhile, filed notice on Monday giving police the required three days' notice for a gathering planned on Thursday.
Demonstration
Police spokesperson Eric Kiraithe said police had not yet decided whether to allow the demonstration.
"We are evaluating the proposal on its on merit," he said. "Each application is evaluated according to its merits and demerits... We are yet to decide."
The party had already threatened mass protests if a deal is not reached by Wednesday, and Monday's filing was a clear sign its leaders believe the talks could falter.
Throughout the talks, low-level unrest has continued. Over the weekend, police said eight houses were burning in a western village in an ethnically motivated attack.
On Monday, police in the western town of Kitale arrested more than 200 youths accused of training to form a militia to protect ethnic groups seen as backing Kibaki in the opposition-dominated west.
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