Kenya pledges to help Zimbabwe in power sharing

(SomaliNet) Kenya on Sunday offered to help the warring political factions in Zimbabwe reach a negotiated settlement that would provide a power sharing deal between President Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Minister Moses Wetang’ula told the council of African Union Ministers meeting at the Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Sheikh, that Kenya, which six months ago witnessed violence after the disputed Presidential elections was ready to offer her experience to resolve the Zimbabwe crisis.

“I have offered and we continue to offer to our brothers and sisters in Zimbabwe if they want to learn a few lessons from the experience of Kenya we are always ready to assist them come together and talk for the sake of their country,” Mr Wetangula told our correspondent after the meeting.

It now remains for the African Heads of State and Governments who will be meeting at the Sharm El-Sheik International Conference Centre today to pass a final resolution on the matter and hope that Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe will go along with it for the implementation to happen.

The Kenyan crisis which left more than 1,000 people dead and 300,000 displaced ended with a power sharing deal between President Kibaki and now Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

The deal, mediated by former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan assisted by former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa and former South African First Lady Graca Macel, eventually led to the formation of the Grand Coalition Government with ministers from the PNU/Government coalition and those from ODM forming the Cabinet.

It is this kind of arrangement which Mr Wetang’ula is proposing for Zimbabwe, where the Opposition MDC controls parliament.

President Kibaki and President Museveni arrived at Sharm El-Sheik for the conference on Sunday afternoon.

President Museveni was received on arrivat at Sharm el Sheikh International Airport by the Egyptian Prime Minister Dr. Ahmed Nazif and the Governor of South Sinai General Hany Metwal.

Others at the Airport to receive him were Uganda’s Ambassador to Egypt Mr Umaru Lubuulwa Migadde.

President Mugabe arrived at tha summit in Egypt yesterday.

Mugabe walked into the conference hall in the resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh along with a group of African leaders including the Egyptian president, President Museveni and Tanzania’s Kikwete. –Daily Monitor