By Prensa Latina
United Nations : UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon discussed on Friday with Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga about stopping violence in that African country, where more than 300 people have been killed.
In separate telephone conversations with Kibaki and Odinga, the UN secretary general insisted on the need to return to peace and normalcy in that State of the African eastern coast.
Violence in that country broke out during the weekend, when they announced that President Kibaki had been reelected in the December 27 elections, a statement denied by opposition leader Odinga.
Asked by the media in that headquarters, official spokeswoman Michele Montas said the secretary general asked both political leaders to solve their differences through negotiations, and insisted on the humanitarian needs of the victims.
A report by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said on Friday that around 500,000 people have been affected so far by the post electoral violence in Kenya.
At least 5,400 people have left the country for Uganda, seeking shelter, the OCHA revealed.
According to Montas, the UN Secretary General has been also in telephone contact with Ghana’s president John Kofour, who is currently in charge of heading the African Union.
Ban’s conversation with Kofour was held when the African leader was getting ready to travel to Nairobi, as the AU president.
“The secretary general is consulting all sides involved to find the best way for the UN to help solve this crisis,” Montas said.