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Kofi Annan to mediate Kenyan talks

Former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan has agreed to take over talks to end the deadly turmoil linked to Kenya's presidential election, after days of international pressure resulted in nothing more than a fresh round of accusations from both sides.

The Dec. 27 election returned President Mwai Kibaki to power for another five-year term, with his opponent, Raila Odinga, coming in a close second after a vote tally that foreign observers say was rigged. More than 500 people have been killed in the ensuing riots and ethnic violence.

"Both sides agree that there should be an end to violence," said African Union chairman John Kufuor as he left Kenya on Thursday after his two days of mediation failed to even get Kibaki and Odinga to meet.

Annan will not arrive in Nairobi to take over the talks before Tuesday, his office in Geneva said. If his predecessor's experience was any indication, Annan will have a frustrating task before him.

Both sides continued trading blame for the political deadlock on Thursday. According to the government, Kibaki "offered dialogue," but Odinga was not responsive. Odinga, meanwhile, said Kibaki refused to sign an agreement to establish an interim coalition government and conduct an inquiry into the Electoral Commission of Kenya.

A government spokesman acknowledged that Kibaki had not signed, saying he was not involved in the consultations.

Odinga has said he would meet Kibaki only in the presence of an international mediator, but Kibaki wants direct talks.

Hopes for a power-sharing compromise were dampened as Kibaki's allies were sworn in as Cabinet ministers.

Earlier, protesters from the women's wing of Odinga's party marched chanting "Kibaki is a thief!" Police fired tear gas at them -- noting a ban on all demonstrations since the violence erupted -- and the women ran away in disarray.

"We are calling for truth about what happened to our votes and the votes of Kenyans," said the chairman of the party's women's league, Jacqueline Oduol.

The EU, the US and the UK also have been pressing for Kibaki and Odinga to meet and added to the pressure in what Odinga's spokesman, Salim Lone, said was a "tense meeting" with US envoy Jendayi Frazer, Kufuor, four former African heads of state and the ambassadors from the US, Britain and France.

Britain has not recognized the new government of Kenya, and for them to do so, the Kenyan government would have to "clearly represent a credible expression of the will of the people," British Foreign Secretary David Miliband told reporters in London.

Kenya is crucial to the war on terrorism, having turned over dozens of people to the US and Ethiopia as suspected terrorists. It also allows US forces to operate from Kenyan bases and conducts joint exercises with US troops in the region. The US is a major donor to Kenya, long seen as a stable democracy in a region that includes war-ravaged Somalia and Sudan. Aid amounts to roughly US$1 billion a year, the US Embassy said.

Kenyans for Peace with Truth and Justice, an umbrella for civil groups formed after the elections, presented police with a long list of alleged charges against electoral commissioners and some staff, including forgery, subverting the rule of law, making out false certificates and abuse of office.

Also on Thursday, Kenyan voter Eliphaz Keya filed a lawsuit against Kibaki, Odinga and returning officers from two districts, saying the election was rigged and marred by violence. Kibaki has said anyone unhappy with the results should go to court, although the high court is loaded with his allies.
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