State Department
03 January 2008
The Bush administration is sending its senior Africa diplomat to Kenya to try to encourage political dialogue between the principals in last week's bitterly disputed presidential election. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.
The crisis began last week after Mr. Kibaki was declared the election winner despite early tallies showing Odinga leading the vote count.
The United States initially congratulated Mr. Kibaki but later rescinded the statement as European Union and other observers reported vote irregularities.
Since then, the Bush administration has pressed for a political accommodation between the sides that will end the violence but has declined to offer any specific proposals, at least in public.
In keeping with that, McCormack distanced himself from a European Union statement that in their conversation Thursday, Rice and Solana endorsed the creation of Kenyan national unity government.
He also downplayed the notion, advanced by the EU, that the United States and European Union would send a joint mediation team to Kenya.
The U.S. spokesman said there had already been several offers of good offices in the Kenyan crisis, by among others South African Nobel Peace Laureate Bishop Desmond Tutu and Ghanaian President John Kufuor on behalf of the African Union.
Aides to President Kibaki have said outside intervention is not needed, but Spokesman McCormack said he expects that Frazer will be able to see both principles in the conflict.
He said she will also meet with leaders of Kenyan civil society to see what ideas they may have for defusing one of the worst crises since Kenya's independence in 1963.