Annan takes over search for Kenya peace

Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan is to supervise negotiations in Kenya’s deadly dispute over presidential elections, the African Union said today.

The AU also said President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga had agreed to end violence and work towards finding a peaceful solution to the crisis.

The statement was issued as current AU mediator President John Kufuor of Ghana prepared to leave Kenya after failing to get Mr Kibaki and Mr Odinga to meet.