By KUNA
United Nations : The Security Council discussed for the first time the deteriorating conditions in Kenya but said it did not envision any punitive measures at this stage.
The violence in the East African nation, which first began a few weeks ago after Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki was declared the winner over opposition leader Raila Odinga in December elections, claimed nearly 700 hundred lives, including dozens in recent days, and forced more than 250,000 civilians to flee their homes.
Council President Libyan envoy Giadalla Ettalhi told reporters following a closed-door meeting on the issue, held late on Wednesday, that all council members “deplored the continued violence following the disputed elections in Kenya resulting in extensive loss of life and serious humanitarian consequences.” He added that the council called on Kenyan leaders “to do all what is in their power to bring the violence to an end and to restore calm. It also expressed concern about the safety of many UN personnel there.
The council, he noted, also underlined its full support for the efforts of the eminent African personalities led by former Secretary-General Kofi Annan in seeking to resolve the crisis.
The council also welcomed the convening of the national dialogue under Annan’s mediation and urged both sides to engage fully and constructively to secure a political solution.
Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Lynn Pascoe told reporters following his briefing to the council about the situation in Kenya that the “real imperative now “is to immediately stop the violence and that is up to the leaders and they must talk to their people immediately.” Voicing support for Annan’s mediation efforts, Pascoe said the Organization has been deeply involved from the start to bring the situation under control, with numerous humanitarian organizations being active on the ground to provide assistance to those forced to flee their homes. British envoy John Sawers told reporters “the fact that the council has become engaged underlines the depth of concern that there is globally for stability and for the extensive loss of life that we’ve seen and for the growing humanitarian problems there.” “The extensive international concern about the situation in Kenya is steadily growing as the violence grows, and we all know what has happened before when such violence gets out of control and so we need to nip it the bud with these mediation efforts led by Kofi Annan,” he said.
In answer to a question about the council taking punitive measures, he said “the council has a number of options at its disposal. We are at the very early stages of this process. At this stage we are focused on expressing our concern, on supporting the mediation efforts and backing up the humanitarian work that the UN is involved with.” What is required, he stressed, is a political solution achieved primarily by the two principle leaders in Kenya which will probably involve some form of sharing of power between them and a plan for the months ahead and beyond. Meanwhile in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon discussed the situation in Kenya with the African Union Chairperson Alpha Oumar Konar{ ahead of his address to the AU summit today Thursday.