Jibril Adan And Edith Forunate
16 January 2008
Nairobi — The European Union (EU) has threatened to reduce aid to Kenya if a solution is not found over the disputed presidential elections.
EU Development Commissioner, Mr Louis Michel, told a meeting of the European Parliament's Development Committee: "It is difficult to continue on the same level of budgetary support if we see that the election has not been fully respected."
EU election observers have cited flaws in the tallying of the presidential vote. Local observers have raised similar concerns.
The EU's threat is so far the most tangible from the West. Locally, the EU, UK, US and Canadian envoys are expected to announce their position tomorrow.
The EU threat comes as efforts to negotiate a settlement between the Government and ODM was set to resume under former United Nations Secretary-General, Mr Koffi Annan.
It also comes in the wake of a US warning that it would not conduct "business as usual" in Kenya in the absence of a negotiated settlement between the two protagonists.
Foreign Affairs minister, Mr Moses Wetangula, said the Government had invited Annan and his team to broker peace.
This is a departure from the position held by Roads minister and Kengema MP-elect, Mr John Michuki.
In a statement, Wetangula on Monday broke ranks with Cabinet colleagues, particularly Michuki, Mr Amos Kimunya and Ms Martha Karua, who have maintained that the Government had not invited any international figure to lead negotiations with ODM.
But in a statement to newsrooms, Wetangula said: "I wish to point out that the Government welcomes eminent African statesmen and personalities to Kenya to facilitate dialogue between political leaders in search for a lasting solution to the political situation in the country."
Wetangula made it clear that the Government had accepted Annan, who was appointed to lead the negotiations by the Ghanaina President, Mr John Kufuor.
Kufuor has written to ODM's Mr Raila Odinga to inform him that he would closely follow Annan and his team's work.
"I shall keep a personal interest in the work of eminent persons, with your side and President Kibaki's," he said in his letter.
On Monday, Michuki claimed that the Government had not invited Annan and that there was no need for mediation.
His argument was a restatement of a stance adopted by Karua and Kimunya.
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The Europeans seem to have a DIFFERENT STANDARD IN GIVING 'AID' WHEN DEALING WITH AFRICAN NATIONS AND THOSE OF ASIA.
For example, the British and others invests billions of dollars in China, yet CONTINUES THE SAME OLD COLONIAL SCHEME OF 'AID' (WHICH IS REPAID WITH INTEREST) TO AFRICA.
Nations like Kenya and the East African community MUST CREATE A FEDERATION - Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda and even Mozambique and Somalia. Imagine Congo/Kinshasa and CongoBrazaville in a Central-East African Federation, THESE NATIONS WOULD CREATE A POWERFUL 'SUPERPOWER' WITH ACCESS TO BOTH THE INDIAN OCEAN AND ATLANTIC OCEAN.
Swahili is spoken from Zaire to the Kenya coast, so there already is a unifying language. The people are Bantu-Cush and the cultures are very similar.
Please read "Susu Economics," http://www.authorhouse.com/BookStore/ItemDetail~bookid~3214.aspx
African nations and leadership MUST HAVE 'MEN AND WOMEN OF VISION.'
See http://blackafricanamericansunited.blogspot.com
'Susu and Susunomics,' http://www.iuniverse.com/bookstore/book_detail.asp?isbn=0-595-18246-1
'Susu Economics,' http://www.authorhouse.com
http://blackmalepowermovement.forumsland.com