Up to now, at least 124 people have been killed during outbreaks of violence. The media report that in the Kisumu morgue alone there are 46 dead bodies with gunshot wounds and all over the country there is information of police brutality. Independent TV and radio stations have been shut down by the government.
We call on the Kenyan government and President Kibaki to immediately end the violent repression against their own people and to order the armed forces to withdraw from the streets.
To calm the situation down, the best way is to announce and guarantee free and fair new elections with the presence of international observers. Only such an election can bring democratic legitimacy to the new Government of President Kibaki. Moreover, we call on the Kenyan Government to assure the freedom of Press and to respect the basic human rights of Kenyans.
At the same time, we also make an urgent call for the leader of the Opposition, Mr. Odinga, to act in favour of all Kenyan people and to address his followers, calling on them to immediately stop the violence. Without doubt, the followers will listen to their leader. Therefore we urge you, Mr. Odinga, to act responsibly, as a real leader of nonviolence! Lead your people to the path of nonviolence and reconciliation, and not to the path of hatred and violence. Great examples like Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi showed to the whole of mankind the moral force of Nonviolence—fighting in a nonviolent way against discrimination and injustice. And we hope that you might find inspiration in their examples. Fight for your people’s democratic rights in a nonviolent way! We assure you of our moral support and that the Humanist International will bring all possible pressure to bear on the Kenyan Government to repeat the elections, assuring its correct development.
And to all Kenyans we make an urgent call to immediately stop the violence and to fight for your rights in a nonviolent and peaceful way.
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