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Fighting spreads in western Kenya | Fighting spreads in western Kenya |
(about 3 hours later) | |
At least nine people have been killed in western Kenya, reports say, in violence apparently linked to last month's disputed elections. | |
The victims are said to have been beaten, hacked or burned to death by mobs in Naivasha. | |
The town is about 60km (37 miles) south of Nakuru, also the scene of recent inter-ethnic fighting. | |
Former UN chief Kofi Annan has been holding talks to try to end the month-long political deadlock in Kenya. | |
He met opposition leader Raila Odinga in the capital, Nairobi, on Sunday, and called on the two rival parties to nominate officials for further talks. | |
Mr Annan visited the violence-racked Rift Valley on Saturday, and later said he had seen tragic, heart-wrenching scenes, and "gross and systematic abuse of human rights". | Mr Annan visited the violence-racked Rift Valley on Saturday, and later said he had seen tragic, heart-wrenching scenes, and "gross and systematic abuse of human rights". |
Mr Odinga accuses his rival, President Mwai Kibaki, of stealing December's presidential election. | Mr Odinga accuses his rival, President Mwai Kibaki, of stealing December's presidential election. |
Unrest has left at least 750 people dead and about a quarter of a million homeless. | Unrest has left at least 750 people dead and about a quarter of a million homeless. |
Hacked to death | Hacked to death |
The fighting in Naivasha is thought to have broken out late on Saturday, descending quickly into sickening brutality, says the BBC's Adam Mynott in Nairobi. | |
Reports are unclear but at least nine people are said to have been hacked or clubbed to death as they tried to flee mobs with machetes. | |
Press despair at crisisIn pictures: Violence spreads | Press despair at crisisIn pictures: Violence spreads |
In some cases people were locked inside their homes, which the mobs then ignited with petrol. Police said they recovered several charred bodies. | |
Police tried to disperse youths blocking the main road by firing over their heads. By Sunday afternoon the town was reported to be much calmer. | |
The mobs appeared to from the Kikuyu tribe of President Kibaki, which bore the brunt of the violence that erupted after the election. | |
"We have moved out to revenge the deaths of our brothers and sisters who have been killed, and nothing will stop us," said Anthony Mwangi, hefting a club in Naivasha. | |
"For every one Kikuyu killed, we shall avenge their killing with three," he told the Associated Press news agency. | |
Some of those fleeing the violence have taken shelter in some of the horticultural farms around Naivasha, on the main road between Nakuru and Nairobi, our correspondent says. | |
The area's huge horticulture and flower-growing industry employs more than 20,000 people, and supplies a third of Europe's cut flowers. | The area's huge horticulture and flower-growing industry employs more than 20,000 people, and supplies a third of Europe's cut flowers. |
Further north, Kenya's fourth biggest city Nakuru has also been the scene of deadly violence between rival Luo and Kikuyu communities. | Further north, Kenya's fourth biggest city Nakuru has also been the scene of deadly violence between rival Luo and Kikuyu communities. |
Dozens of people are feared to have died since Thursday and scores of people were injured in clashes between fighters armed with machetes, spears and bows and arrows. | |
There were no reports of further fighting from Nakuru on Sunday. But the ruins of torched buildings smouldered, and a reporter for news agency AFP said bodies lay in the city's deserted slums. | There were no reports of further fighting from Nakuru on Sunday. But the ruins of torched buildings smouldered, and a reporter for news agency AFP said bodies lay in the city's deserted slums. |
Annan call | Annan call |
Meanwhile, further south in Nairobi, Mr Annan has embarked on a sixth day of talks aimed at mediating a solution to the crisis. | Meanwhile, further south in Nairobi, Mr Annan has embarked on a sixth day of talks aimed at mediating a solution to the crisis. |
He met Mr Odinga, after meeting Mr Kibaki on Saturday. | He met Mr Odinga, after meeting Mr Kibaki on Saturday. |
HAVE YOUR SAY The best way to defuse the ethnic tension in the country is for politicians from the two divides to preach peace Philip Langat, Kenya href="http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?forumID=4165=2=20080127120207">Send us your commentsOn Saturday, he visited Eldoret in the Rift Valley, scene of some of the worst post-election violence took place and spoke to refugees living in camps. | |
"We saw gross and systematic abuse of human rights, of fellow citizens and it is essential that the facts be established and those responsible held to account," he said. | "We saw gross and systematic abuse of human rights, of fellow citizens and it is essential that the facts be established and those responsible held to account," he said. |
Fundamental changes, he added, were needed in Kenya to prevent a repetition of inter-ethnic violence. | Fundamental changes, he added, were needed in Kenya to prevent a repetition of inter-ethnic violence. |
"We cannot accept that periodically, every five years or so, this sort of incident takes place and no-one is held to account," he said. | "We cannot accept that periodically, every five years or so, this sort of incident takes place and no-one is held to account," he said. |