PM moves to help end Kenya violence

Tuesday January 1, 2008 3:43 PM

Gordon Brown has moved to help bring the violence in Kenya to an end, securing support for a peace initiative by Commonwealth and African leaders.

As the death toll since last week's disputed election climbed past 200, the Prime Minister sought international assistance for reconciliation efforts between the country's political leaders.

Mr Brown appealed to Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga for a stop to the violence in telephone conversations last night.

He spoke to Ghanaian president John Kufuor, chair of the African Union, and Ahmed Tejan Kabbah, head of the Commonwealth observer mission in Kenya, about overseeing a process of reconciliation.

Thousands of British tourists in Kenya are being advised to stay indoors with post-election violence set to continue.

The Foreign Office is advising against all but essential travel to areas of the East African country's two biggest towns.

Mr Brown said: "What I want to see is them coming together, I want to see talks and I want to see reconciliation and unity.

"I want to see the possibility explored where they can come together in Government. The reason is the violence must come to an end."

After Mr Brown's talks with President Kufuor and Dr Kabbah, a former president of Sierra Leone, a Downing Street spokesperson said: "They agreed on the urgent need to establish a process of reconciliation in Kenya facilitated by the Commonwealth and the African Union."

Since Saturday, at least 228people have been killed in riots that flared from the shantytowns of Nairobi to resort towns on the coast.