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Kenyan party calls for more protests

Kenya's opposition party, determined to bring down the government of President Mwai Kibaki, called for another day of "peaceful rallies" across the country in defiance of a ban and despite the deaths of more than 20 people in last week's demonstrations.

Police took forceful action at rallies last week protesting the Dec. 27 presidential election, but opposition party Chairman Henry Kosgey told reporters on Saturday: "We will use each and every means to bring down Kibaki's government."

He called for more rallies on Thursday, to the disapproval of the EU.

"Mass meetings ... can lead to violence," EU Development Commissioner Louis Michel said, after holding what he called "positive" meetings with both Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga.

He said both sides "appeal to end the violence" and had agreed to recognize mediation efforts by former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan.

Five more people died in ethnic clashes on Saturday when three ethnic groups -- Kalenjin, Kisii and Kikuyu -- fought each other with bows and arrows and machetes in villages around the Catholic Kipkelion Monastery in the Rift Valley, some 300km northwest of Nairobi, according to a reporter at the scene.

Police confirmed they had arrived on Saturday afternoon and were guarding the monastery, where hundreds of people have sought refuge.

Nearly 200 houses were set ablaze in what appeared to be an old argument about land.

In a separate incident in Nairobi's Mathare slum, several homes were set ablaze during several hours of running battles between Kikuyu and Luo ethnic groups, resident Boniface Shikami said yesterday morning.

Kibaki belongs to the Kikuyu, Kenya's largest ethnic group, and Odinga to the Luo. Resident David Oromo said the battles had continued for several hours throughout the night and police gunfire could be heard in the background of his phone call. Emergency services did not report any immediate injuries.

Friday's deaths raised the toll to at least 24 people killed in three days of protests called by the opposition -- all but seven deaths blamed on police.

More than 600 people have been killed in Kenya's election violence, according to a government commission.

US Ambassador Michael Ranneberger said on Friday there had been "a lot of cheating on both sides" in the elections that pitted Kibaki against Odinga.

The US maintains there were allegations of rigging on both sides which were not properly investigated, and Ranneberger said either Odinga or Kibaki could have won by 120,000 votes because it was a close election and both sides are alleged to have rigged the election.

But David Throup, an associate of the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, said in a public conference call with Ranneberger that Odinga won by 120,000 votes.

But Kibaki's power becomes more entrenched each day. The opposition's best hope may rest in wrangling a power-sharing agreement that might make Odinga prime minister or vice president.

International mediation was ongoing. A group of former African presidents -- Tanzania's Benjamin Mkapa, Mozambique's Joachim Chissano and Botswana's Ketumile Masire -- met both Odinga and Kibaki, Odinga told reporters.

Annan is expected to head talks tomorrow.
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