US President George W. Bush today called for a powersharing agreement in Kenya to end the post-election conflict that has killed 1,000 people in the East African state.
Mr Bush, who began a five-nation visit to Africa in Benin, is sending Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to Kenya on Monday to back mediation efforts between the government and opposition coordinated by former United Nations chief Kofi Annan.
President George W. Bush inspects a guard of honour upon his arrival in Benin today
"In terms of Condi's visit, the key is that the leaders hear from her first hand that the United States desires to see that there be no violence and that there be a powersharing agreement that will help this nation resolve its difficulties," Mr Bush told reporters after arriving on a brief stopover in Benin.
"That's what diplomacy is," he added.
Mr Annan is trying to end turmoil over the disputed December 27th election that has also uprooted 300,000 people, plunging Kenya into its darkest episode since independence in 1963.
Mr Annan has said that considerable progress was made this week, including agreement for an independent review of the polls. He is also seeking constitutional and electoral reforms.
Yesterday, he unveiled an agenda for constitutional and electoral reform agreed by Kenya's government and opposition, although it fell far short of a powersharing deal . The 10-point plan also includes an independent review of December's presidential election.
Mr Annan will meet Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga on Monday before negotiations resume on Tuesday.
Mr Bush later travelled to Tanzania to begin the second and longest leg of his trip. The tour, in the final year of his presidency, takes him to five countries carefully chosen to try to show a different face from the poverty-plagued and conflict-stricken continent normally portrayed by the world's media.
Benin, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ghana and Liberia are now relatively stable states whose presidents are viewed by Washington as a new generation of leaders, with democratic credentials, who can show the positive potential of Africa.
They are also showcases for US aid projects backing hospitals, schools and anti-AIDs and anti-malaria initiatives considered a success in a Bush foreign policy scarred by controversy over his handling of Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan.