Kenyan opposition calls off protests

Kenya's opposition leader Raila Odinga today called off street protests that had been called to pressure the government to strike a power-sharing deal to end the country's post-election crisis.

"We ... are committed to the talks. We have postponed until further notice any actions planned for tomorrow," Mr Odinga told reporters, after meeting with crisis talks mediator Kofi Annan who had asked him to call off the demonstrations.

Exasperated that the talks had deadlocked, the former United Nations chief yesterday suspended them and told Odinga and President Mwai Kibaki that they would have to make the decisions themselves. He met both today.

"Issues that divide the parties are bridgeable ... with political will," Mr Annan told reporters. "The solution must be found in the mediation room."

Kibaki and Odinga have come under intense pressure from at home and abroad to compromise over Kibaki's disputed re-election in a December 27th vote, which sparked ethnic violence that killed 1,000 people and made 300,000 flee their homes.

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