TALKING POINTS FOR DPA BRIEFING ON KENYA

UNCLAS STATE 009486 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: UNSC PREL PHUM SUBJECT: TALKING POINTS FOR DPA BRIEFING ON KENYA ¶1. USUN is instructed to draw from the following talking points for the January 30 DPA briefing on the situation in Kenya: Begin points: -- The United States would like to thank Under Secretary-General Pascoe (or other DPA briefer) for their SIPDIS briefing today on the situation in Kenya. -- The United States is deeply concerned about the situation in Kenya, where ethnic violence has caused the death of over 800 Kenyans and displaced a further 250,000. The violence must stop. -- We continue to stress to both President Kibaki and the leader of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Raila Odinga that they must urge their supporters to remain calm and refrain from violence and continue with the dialogue program designed by Kofi Annan. We note the concerns of many Kenyans about the flawed electoral processes on and after December 27 and encourage Kenyan authorities to fully examine how future votes can be better safeguarded. -- We are concerned that the recent murder of ODM Member of Parliament Merlitus Were may incite further ethnic tensions. The United States has offered the investigatory services of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in response to the Kenyan Commissioner of Police's public request for assistance in investigating Mr. Were's murder. -- The United States is extremely supportive of the efforts of the Panel of Eminent Persons, chaired by former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, to broker a political solution SIPDIS to the crisis. We have urged both sides to cooperate fully with the Panel and come to the negotiating table with a constructive and flexible attitude. We support Annan's focus not only on the need for urgent measures to stop the violence and reach a political accommodation but also on the necessity for longer term institutional reforms. -- We were encouraged by the January 24 and January 29 meetings of President Kibaki and Mr. Odinga. We believe these meetings are the beginning of the political dialogue that will be continued by their three-person negotiating teams in accordance with the dialogue program designed by Kofi Annan and his panel. -- The United States has called for a transparent and impartial investigation into the violence in the Rift Valley Province and other areas of the country, as well as into allegations of excessive use of force by the police in certain circumstances. We believe those individuals identified as responsible for inciting or organizing the violence should face judicial sanctions or other appropriate punishment. -- The United States is troubled by reports that the provision of humanitarian assistance by the World Food Program and others has been interrupted or negatively impacted by the ongoing insecurity. We have called on the government of Kenya to provide adequate security to aid providers and to protect vulnerable internally displaced persons (IDPs) from further violence. end points RICE