Rice to carry U.S. message to Kenya

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's will embark on a mission to Kenya next week. U.S. President George W. Bush said Saturday that Rice's mission would hammer home his call for an end to violence and a power-sharing arrangement. Rice to carry U.S. message to Kenya "In terms of Condi's visit, the key is that the leaders hear from her first hand U.S. desires to see that there be no violence and that there be a power-sharing agreement that will help this nation resolve its difficulties," Bush said as he began a five-nation Africa trip in Benin. "That's what diplomacy is," the U.S. president said during a joint public appearance with his host, President Boni Yayi. Rice's spokesman, Sean McCormack, has said she will travel to Kenya on Monday for several hours to meet President Mwai Kibaki as well as his rival, Raila Odinga, who accuses Kibaki of having stolen the December 27 election. Former UN chief Kofi Annan said earlier that he hoped Kenya's bitterly divided leaders will reach a deal next week after taking the "last difficult and frightening step" toward a power-sharing government. Annan said Friday at the end of a third week of tough negotiations that a deal was "very close" to end weeks of turmoil that have left more than 1,000 people dead since the disputed December 27 presidential election. Disagreements remained over the makeup of a new government, notably on opposition demands that Odinga be appointed prime minister with full powers as head of government. Kenya descended into crisis when Kibaki, 76, was declared the winner of the presidential vote, which opposition leader Odinga, 63, maintains was rigged. Independent observers also found flaws in the vote count. According to the Kenyan Red Cross, more than 1,000 people have died in rioting, tribal clashes and police raids and 300,000 people have been uprooted, shattering Kenya's image as one of Africa's most stable countries. The violence has apparently stopped over the past week with police reporting no incidents as Kenyans awaited the outcome of the Annan-led talks. Launched nearly three weeks ago, Annan's mediation is seen as Kenya's best hope for a political solution to end the violence in which Kenyans have been killed by machete-wielding mobs, burnt in churches and driven off their land.

Rice to carry U.S. message to Kenya

"In terms of Condi's visit, the key is that the leaders hear from her first hand U.S. desires to see that there be no violence and that there be a power-sharing agreement that will help this nation resolve its difficulties," Bush said as he began a five-nation Africa trip in Benin.

"That's what diplomacy is," the U.S. president said during a joint public appearance with his host, President Boni Yayi.

Rice's spokesman, Sean McCormack, has said she will travel to Kenya on Monday for several hours to meet President Mwai Kibaki as well as his rival, Raila Odinga, who accuses Kibaki of having stolen the December 27 election.

Former UN chief Kofi Annan said earlier that he hoped Kenya's bitterly divided leaders will reach a deal next week after taking the "last difficult and frightening step" toward a power-sharing government.

Annan said Friday at the end of a third week of tough negotiations that a deal was "very close" to end weeks of turmoil that have left more than 1,000 people dead since the disputed December 27 presidential election.

Disagreements remained over the makeup of a new government, notably on opposition demands that Odinga be appointed prime minister with full powers as head of government.

Kenya descended into crisis when Kibaki, 76, was declared the winner of the presidential vote, which opposition leader Odinga, 63, maintains was rigged. Independent observers also found flaws in the vote count.

According to the Kenyan Red Cross, more than 1,000 people have died in rioting, tribal clashes and police raids and 300,000 people have been uprooted, shattering Kenya's image as one of Africa's most stable countries.

The violence has apparently stopped over the past week with police reporting no incidents as Kenyans awaited the outcome of the Annan-led talks.

Launched nearly three weeks ago, Annan's mediation is seen as Kenya's best hope for a political solution to end the violence in which Kenyans have been killed by machete-wielding mobs, burnt in churches and driven off their land.