NAIROBI, Jan 10: Kenya’s rival leaders agreed on Thursday to work with a mediation panel led by former UN chief Kofi Annan to end a political crisis that has claimed hundreds of lives, the head of the African Union said.

“The parties agreed to work together with a Panel of Eminent African Personalities headed by Mr. Kofi Annan ... towards resolving their differences and all other outstanding issues,” AU chief and Ghanaian President John Kufuor said in a statement.However, a Kenyan foreign ministry official cast doubts on the prospects of a resolution, saying Kufuor’s talks here with President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga had “failed to end the deadlock” between the two men.

“Both sides did not let go of their positions,” said the official who declined to be identified.

Kufuor had spent two days trying to bring Kibaki and Odinga into direct contact to negotiate an end to the turmoil triggered by the president’s disputed re-election victory over his rival late last month.

“I would say we’ve launched the talks and they have been very hectic,” Kufuor told reporters before returning to Ghana.

“The positive aspect is that both sides agreed to an end to violence,” he said.

Kufuor had held a lengthy meeting Thursday morning with Odinga, who insists Kibaki rigged the December 27 elections and refuses to recognise his re-election.

Asked whether Odinga would enter Kibaki’s government, he said: “I’m not in a position to tell you.” Other top officials in the talks included Washington’s top Africa envoy, Jendayi Frazer, and four former African presidents.

“The negotiations were very intense, difficult,” Odinga’s spokesman Salim Lone told AFP.

Kibaki earlier swore in 17 ministers as part of a partial cabinet he announced on Tuesday to stiff criticism both at home and abroad.

“We have one country and we should be committed to serving all Kenyans diligently,” Kibaki said during the swearing-in ceremony, according to a statement from his office.

The remaining ministerial posts will be filled in at a later date, it said.

None of the cabinet positions so far have been given to members of Odinga’s party, although Kibaki has vowed to create a “broad-based” government.

The unrest sparked by the post-election impasse in Kenya left some 600 people dead and around 250,000 more displaced.

While the level of violence has receded, tensions remain high and riot police Thursday fired tear gas to disperse more than 100 female opposition supporters marching towards a Nairobi church to hold prayers for peace.

“They had not notified police about the demonstration. We asked them to disperse peacefully, which they refused and we were forced to fire tear gas,” said police commander David Kerini.

Police said late on Wednesday that stability had returned to most parts of the country, but isolated clashes were still being reported.

“There are some pockets where there are still attacks,” national police spokesman Eric Kiraithe said.

Kibaki and Odinga belong to different tribes and the post-election violence had taken on a specifically ethnic dimension.

The crisis has damaged Kenya’s reputation as a relative safe haven in an unstable region of Africa, and hurt economic sectors including tourism and tea.

What is happening in Kenya “is very sad,” Kufuor said before he left. “It’s a beautiful country, it’s a great country.”—AFP