Don't take any steps that would compromise search for peace in Kenya

Accra, Jan. 11, GNA - Ghana's celebrated diplomat and Former Secretary General of the United Nations (UN), Busumuru Kofi Annan on Friday appealed to Kenyan political leaders not to take any further steps that would compromise the search for peace.

He said they should not create facts on the ground that would make it difficult for the Panel of Eminent African Personalities, which both sides to the election dispute had agreed to work with, to find viable and lasting solution.

Busumuru Annan was speaking at the Castle, Osu after formally accepting the invitation from President John Agyekum Kufuor, Chairman of the African Union (UN), to head the Panel.

The other two members are Gracia Machel, wife of Former South African President Nelson Mandela and Mr Benjamin Mkapa, Former President of Tanzania.

Busumuru Annan called on the Government and opposition political parties to bear in mind the interest of Kenyans and to show goodwill, leadership and maturity.

He said they were going to put together a Secretariat to enable the Panel work as expeditiously as possible to resolve many of the issues and to restore the East African country to normalcy.

Referring to the AU Chairman's trip to Kenya, he said it was essential and had made a difference.

He thanked President Kufuor and said it was a great responsibility they had been given, which they took seriously.

President Kufuor, whose visit to Kenya was at the invitation of the two feuding parties, said he went there with a programme, to get them to agree to immediate cessation of violence, to accept to use dialogue to settle their differences and to agree to talk under the aegis of the Panel of Eminent African personalities.

He said during the two days, he won the support of both the Government and the opposition parties to abide by these.