Kenya's president on Monday invited his chief rival to his official residence to discuss how to end the country's election standoff, just hours after the opposition called off nationwide rallies amid fears of new bloodshed.I will say that Frazier is a pro at diplomacy. He managed to declare that the election was rigged and blamed no one for it.
The signs of softening by both sides came after three days of talks with the top U.S. diplomat for Africa. The African Union president, whose trip to Kenya had been delayed repeatedly as the government rejected outside mediation in the disputed vote, was to begin talks in the capital as early as Wednesday.
The U.S. envoy, Jendayi Frazer, said the vote count was rigged, but declined to blame either President Mwai Kibaki or Raila Odinga, the opposition leader.
The Kenyan people haven't acted quite as diplomatically. They have long blamed Kibaki for the election problems. The whole situation has deterioted into primitive tribal warfare. Because Kibaki is from the Kikuyi tribe, there is widespread violence from some or all of the other Kenyan tribes directed at members of the Kikuyi. Gerry Phelps has a harrowing story from on such Kikuyi...
Yesterday (Sunday) morning about 8:00 I called Ben in Kenya to gert an update. I knew he and Mary and the girls were trying to get out of Eldoret and get to Narobi for safety - especially for Mary since she is Kikuyu tribe, the most threatened group in all this. Thousands have fled the country and hundreds have been murdered in the streets - especially in Eldoret where our ministry is based.
When I called Ben, they had made it to the airport by God's grace and were trying to get on a plane. Ben said it was total chaos. There were 50 seats on the plane and they had sold 100 Boarding passes. I hung up and joined with Sheila in prayer that God would give them favor in the eyes of the airline people.
Two hours later I called back, and they were in Nairobi! Ben said it was a miracle. Right after we hung up before, they formed the people into 2 lines and began calling out names for people to board the plane. Ben's name was the first one called and then Mary and then the girls. Praise God! They are now in Nairobu and we have made arrangements for Mary and the girls to fly to the U.S. on Friday night this week. Ben will remain behind and take care of the ministry - at least for the present time.
It is ironic tragic and despicable that these folks immediately turned to violence to right what they saw as a wrong.
Furthermore, the two rivals have a long and complicated history of their own...as the BBC explained
It all started when President Kibaki declined to honour a gentlemen's agreement, popularly referred to as the memorandum of understanding (MoU), on the power-sharing structure in the new government.
Constitutional reform plans were stopped by the opposition.
His former opposition comrades, led by Raila Odinga, accused him of betrayal and although they remained in government, they made it clear that they were no longer the president's men. But the real test for the coalition came in 2005, when his former allies campaigned against the government during the constitutional referendum.
Mr Odinga and other leaders went around the country urging the people to vote against the government, and their victory at the referendum gave birth to a new opposition movement: the Orange Democratic Movement.
Following a bruising defeat, President Kibaki sacked the ministers who opposed the government, in a move interpreted as his boldest decision since ascending to power.
Not everyone sees the situation as gloomy. Now, the Chicago Tribune had an even more hopeful piece, at least by title. (Rivals Make Concessions)
Kenya's president and his chief rival made key concessions Monday to end their election dispute, calling off protests and agreeing to talks under pressure from the United States as the death toll from a week of violence neared 500.The situation continues to unfold and we will see how it develops and how the complicated relationships play in the development.
The top American envoy to Africa said the vote count at the heart of the dispute was tampered with and both sides could have been involved.
The Dec. 27 election returned President Mwai Kibaki to power for another five-year term, with his rabble-rousing opponent, Raila Odinga, coming in a close second. But even Kenyan electoral commission chairman Samuel Kivuiti, who declared Kibaki the winner, subsequently said he is not sure Kibaki won.
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