Kenya's opposition leader Raila Odinga, on the right, with Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki in Nairobi.
A brief meeting of Kenya's dueling presidential candidates may be the first step toward the end of civil unrest and violence in that country. A meeting between the sparring politicians brokered by Kofi Annan took place on Wednesday, The New York Times reports.
Mwai Kibaki won the presidency in a highly contested election, in which opposition leader Raila Odinga alleged corruption within the voting system.The conflict between the leaders poured into the streets, causing ethnically-based violence killing at least 650 lives and displacing more than 250,000 people.
The meeting marked the first face-to-face interaction between the politicos since the the crisis began. Kibaki urged calm during the upheaval:
"I appeal to all Kenyans to remain calm and to shun violence as we endeavor to find solutions," he said. "I am confident that together, our experience, unity and determination will make it possible for us to overcome the challenges."
Do you think this meeting will yield any results? How should the international community react to the conflict in Kenya? Do you think lasting peace in Africa is possible, and what should be the first step to create it?
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