Kenya Death Toll Near 800 in One Month

[tekisui]

NAIVASHA, Kenya - Gangs of youths armed with machetes and clubs fought running battles with police on Sunday and burned tribal rivals alive in their homes in western Kenya, pushing the death toll from a month of escalating ethnic violence to nearly 800.

Sunday marked exactly one month since the Dec. 27 disputed president election which sparked the violence that has transformed this once-stable African country, pitting longtime neighbors against each other and turning towns where tourists used to gather for luxury holidays into no-go zones.

It also complicated the task of former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the latest international mediator trying to promote talks between President Mwai Kibaki and his chief rival, opposition leader Raila Odinga. The two met Thursday for the first time since the election.

Kibaki and Odinga remain far apart on how to resolve the crisis, the worst the country has seen since its 1963 independence from Britain. Kibaki has said he is open to direct talks with Odinga, but that his position as president is not negotiable. Odinga says Kibaki must step down and new elections are the only alternative.

The clashes have mainly pitted other ethnic groups, which support the opposition because they feel marginalized, against Kibaki's Kikuyu people.

Kikuyus were the main victims in the initial eruption of violence, with hundreds killed and more than half of those driven from their homes belonging to Kibaki's tribe. Now, however, it appears the Kikuyus are looking for revenge.

"We have moved out to avenge the deaths of our brothers and sisters who have been killed, and nothing will stop us," said Anthony Mwangi, hefting a club in the western town of Naivasha. "For every one Kikuyu killed, we shall avenge their killing with three."

more at link: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080127/ap_on_re_af/kenya_election_violence;_ylt=AlSamF9bmLI4Ncm6HiEMI6Ks0NUE

Kenya's turmoil should give us perspective on how petty some of our election issues are. It should also remind us how valuable the right to vote is. It should also remind us how important it is to have each person's vote counted and heard.