WASHINGTON -
The United States welcomed a power-sharing deal signed by rival Kenyan leaders on Thursday aimed at ending post-election violence that left 1,000 people dead, but said much depended on its implementation.
"That's an important and very positive step forward," State Department spokesman Tom Casey said of the agreement signed by Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga.
"That's an important and very positive step forward," State Department spokesman Tom Casey said of the agreement signed by Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga.
"We are very pleased to see that this agreement has been reached. It allows the Kenyan people to move forward with a very basic issue of governance," Casey said.
At the same time, he said,
"we want to see this agreement implemented," including legislative and constitutional changes it calls for. These are the way to insure that conflict does not recur, he said.
Casey said the United States hoped everyone on both sides would support the deal, adding that Washington would be watching carefully. He said Kenyans who promoted bloodshed still faced potential visa bans by the U.S. government.
