UN boss acts tough on Kenyan crisis

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has called on President Mwai Kibaki and his challenger Raila Odinga to put aside their differences and save the country from collapse. “Please put Kenya back on its rightful path of one Kenya, united in peace and progress”, Mr Moon said upon his arrival in Nairobi, the country’s capital. Mr Moon flew into the country from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where he was attending an African Union summit and warned that Kenya had lost too much in terms of international image and economic regression.

Mr Moon called for a speedy end to the violence that has rocked the country for the last one month. “I appeal to all Kenyans to end the violence which has wounded and crippled this beloved country”, Mr Moon said at a press conference. “It has led to intolerable levels of death, destruction, displacement and suffering. This is unacceptable. Men, women, children, the elderly, disabled and other vulnerable people have been uprooted, lost their property, their livelihood and are living in fear”, Mr Moon lamented.

Mr Moon urged Kibaki and Raila to preach peace following the disputed presidential election results. “I appealed to Kibaki in Addis Ababa and Raila in Nairobi. I have also told my predecessor Kofi Annan that the killings must stop. More than 800 people have lost their lives following violence that erupted soon after Kibaki was declared the winner in the December 2007 presidential election. Another 350,000 has been displaced from their homes.

The UN boss said the election crisis had exposed historical grievances that fuelled the violence, displacement and revenge. “Leaders have a responsibility to stop Kenya from degenerating into further civil strife”, he stated. To the Kenya Dialogue team being headed by Mr Annan, the UN boss said: “The future of Kenya is on your shoulders. You have important historical responsibilities”. He asked the peace teams and leaders to look beyond individual and party interests and focus on the future of the country. “My message to the leaders and the people of Kenya is to stop the violence immediately and resolve all issues through dialogue”, said Mr Moon.