Anne Mugisa
5 February 2008
Kampala — The East African Community is considering sending a peace-keeping force to Kenya as one of the options in case the situation deteriorates, reports Anne Mugisa.
"Currently, there are negotiations within the East African set-up. A decision has not yet been reached but negotiations are on," Fred Opolot of the Uganda Media Centre told journalists yesterday.
The East African Community, chaired by President Yoweri Museveni, is made up of Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and Kenya.
Opolot, who just returned from Nairobi, said Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki had given assurances for the protection of Ugandan goods transiting through Kenya.
"The Government of Kenya has deployed the police and the army, as well as provided air cover, to enhance the security of the Ugandan goods. As a result, the flow of goods has improved."
Kampala was supportive of the mediation efforts by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, he stressed, adding that EAC affairs minister Eriya Kategaya remained in Kenya to facilitate the dialogue which was initiated by Museveni.
In its first session after the Christmas recess, the Ugandan Parliament praised Annan's efforts and urged both Kibaki and his rival, Raila Odinga, to work for unity and reconciliation.
"We hail those who attempt to end this violence and pray that the diplomatic efforts succeed," said Speaker Edward Ssekandi.
"We ask those involved to give the diplomatic efforts a chance." The House observed a minute of silence in respect of those killed, including the two opposition MPs, in the Kenyan violence.
"The violence in Kenya is a tragedy for East Africa. A country that was once hailed as an example for the region has been turned into ruins. We pray this comes to an end," said leader of the opposition Ogenga Latigo.
Both Latigo and Ssekandi asked MPs to desist from statements that would fuel the volatile situation.
Meanwhile, the talks between the rivalling parties resumed in Nairobi yesterday after Cyril Ramaphosa, South Africa's chief apartheid-era negotiator, pulled out.
The government had rejected his bid to help broker a final deal, accusing him of favouring the opposition.
The possible solution to end the deadlock would involve a power-sharing deal in which Kibaki would remain as president, albeit with fewer powers, while Odinga would become prime minister, even though the position would have to be created through a constitutional amendment.
The rivals have officially rejected such an arrangement but Annan yesterday suggested that the negotiations could breach "necessary legislations and laws."
Uganda, Sudan, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Somalia decided to dispatch their foreign ministers to Nairobi today to show support for "government efforts to restore stability," said a Kenyan foreign ministry official.
The countries are member states of the Inter-Governmental Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), chaired by Kibaki.
But the opposition has threatened to hold a big protest if the ministers went, saying they could not meet with Kibaki when "the very legitimacy" of his position was in question.
"If the IGAD meeting goes on in spite of our call for it not to go on, we shall call upon Kenyans to come out in big numbers for a peaceful demonstration in Nairobi to strongly protest," said Anyang Nyongo, secretary general of the opposition Orange Democratic Movement.
Despite the talks, attacks were continuing in western Kenya, the epicentre of the post-election violence, pitting mainly the ethnic Kisii against the Kalenjin.
"We have killed two people who were trying to burn down a restaurant near Chelibat," a village in the ethnically mixed area," a police commander told AFP.
"The fighting is going on in the rural area but our security forces are trying to calm them down."
At least 74 people died in ethnic clashes over the weekend in the Rift Valley, while an exodus of Kikuyu continued.
Another 4,000 Kikuyus fled their Rift Valley homes in recent days, a Red Cross official said.
According to the organisation, the violence has left over 1,000 people dead and about 300,000 more displaced.
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