Annan to Unveil Deal to End Kenyan Violence

Kofi Annan, the former head of the UN, will today provide details of a peace deal aimed at restoring Kenya's stability after weeks of deadly violence.

Annan, who was called in as a mediator, is scheduled to hold a press conference to outline what was agreed in two days of secret talks between negotiators representing the president, Mwai Kibaki, and the opposition leader, Raila Odinga.

Odinga maintains that Kibaki stole the December election. The subsequent violence has left about 1,000 people dead in ethnic violence, displaced more than 500,000 people and severely undermined Kenya's reputation for stability.

The rival factions have agreed to write a new constitution — a move that could allow for power-sharing — as part of a deal to end the violence, according to government negotiators.

Kenya's constitution was drawn up ahead of independence from Britain in 1963 and has been revised repeatedly, giving the president sweeping powers.

Kenyans have repeatedly said they want constitutional reform to end government abuses.

An opposition member with close ties to the negotiations confirmed there would be a deal to write a new constitution, but said it was "trivial" because the government has not yet agreed to any changes in its structure.

"The talks deadlocked over the discussion of government structure," the opposition member told the Associated Press despite a media blackout on the negotiations in a bid to help secure an agreement.

On Tuesday, it emerged that the opposition had offered to share power with Kibaki, in return for fresh elections in 2010.

It is understood that the Orange Democratic Movement opposition party has demanded more than half of the cabinet seats to reflect its vote in the parliamentary elections.

George Bush, the US president, announced yesterday that his secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, would visit Kenya next Monday to encourage a political compromise.

Bush said Rice would tell Kenya's leaders and people: "There must be an immediate halt to violence, there must be justice for the victims of abuse and there must be a full return to democracy."

Salim Lone, an opposition spokesman, welcomed Rice's visit as a sign of growing recognition within and outside the US that Kenya's crisis is far from over and international pressure is still needed.

"We should not be fooled by the current relative calm to believe that peace is around the corner," Lone said. "Already we can see that the government has consistently tried to undermine the negotiations on this core issue and even if Mr Annan succeeds in forging a settlement, the world will have to be very vigilant in insuring the government implements it."

The US embassy in Nairobi said Rice would meet Kibaki, Odinga and Annan, as well as civil society and business leaders to press for an end to the violence, justice for victims of abuse and a "full return to democracy."

Several countries have threatened unspecified sanctions against hardliners who might derail the negotiations. They also have said they will cut aid, impose travel bans or freeze the assets of anyone suspected of inciting violence.

Odinga, who served as a cabinet minister in Kibaki's administration for two years before being thrown out in December 2005, fell out over a previous attempt at constitutional reform.