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| Kofi Annan to head Kenya panel |
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| Posted on: 2008-Jan-12 Ghanaian Times |
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Talks conducted by President J. A. Kufuor to end Kenya’s political crisis ended yesterday in a negotiated agreement "in principle" from both sides which included a commitment to non-violence, media reports said, and acceptance to continue the discussions under the chairmanship of Busumuru Kofi Annan.
President Kufuor who had been hoping to broker a deal between President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga after last month’s disputed elections said both sides had agreed to work under a panel to be headed by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
"The parties agreed to work together with a panel of eminent African personalities, headed by Mr Annan towards resolving their differences and all other outstanding issues including constitutional and electoral reforms," President Kufuor said.
"Both sides agreed there should be an end to the violence and they also agreed there should be dialogue."
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, Jendayi Frazer said she hoped Mr. Annan would take over "sooner rather than later," and that the United States "continues to urge dialogue under the auspices of Kofi Annan."
African Union chairman President Kufuor arrived in Kenya earlier this week to help resolve the dispute between President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga.
Although he spoke separately with both leaders in closed-door meetings, he was unable to bring them together for direct talks, Frazer said. President Kufuor was due to leave Kenya yesterday without a resolution to the dispute.
Commenting on the outcome of the talks Frazer said it would be too strong to describe the talks as having "collapsed". However, the opposition Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) said that the talks failed after President Kibaki refused to sign a document agreed by both sides and approved by World Bank Country Director Colin Bruce.
Some 600 people have died in unrest which followed the poll.
In addition to those killed, some 250,000 are feared displaced by the violence following the December 27 election in Kenya - previously seen as a relative beacon of stability in East Africa.
Mr Kibaki had invited his rival to hold face-to-face talks on Friday but Mr Odinga refused unless the talks were led by international mediators.
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