Kenya

Power Sharing in Kenya

After violence in Kenya caught the world’s attention after the presidential elections the two sides have come to a truce. President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga Thursday have said they will work together to heal and re-unite the country after violence tore the nation along tribal lines. The ceremony that announced the power sharing agreement came after months of violence that followed last year’s disputed elections. The agreement splits the cabinet evenly between the former bitter enemies from opposing parties. After the compromise, opposition leader Raila Odinga was sworn in as prime minister.

For weeks, the world watched as the violence in Kenya escalated; the violence, which has already killed 1,000 people and driven another 300,000 from their homes, also threatens international confidence of this fledgling African state. As the survival and prosperity of each and every democracy is important to the United States, the United States, the United Nations, and other democratic states need to involve themselves in Kenya to help the two sides negotiate a peaceful resolution to the election dispute. The US Department of State -- which has already taken a hand in the negotiations -- praised the recent agreement.

Liberal

http://www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/nmgcontententry.asp?category_id=1&newsid=121395

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/spanish/international/newsid_7353000/7353729.stm

September 17, 2008 at 11:22 am