The UN emergency relief co-ordinator, John Holmes, is to visit some of the key flashpoint areas Twenty killed in Kashmir snowfall ...
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The envoy's visit comes at a time of renewed hope that a political solution to the crisis can be found.

Kofi Annan, who has been mediating the talks, said the political issues could be settled by as early as next week.

About 1,000 people have been killed and more than a quarter of a million people made homeless in the post-poll unrest.

Mr Holmes will visit Molo and Nakuru, towns in Kenya's Rift Valley which have seen some of the worst fighting following December's disputed election result.

The envoy told reporters he had come to see for himself the extent of the displacement that has been triggered by inter-ethnic fighting, and was lending support to mediation efforts being spearheaded by Mr Annan.

In a significant development on Friday, Mr Annan said he expected that the political issues that separated the two sides could be settled by as early as next week.

Although no final deal has been struck it is understood that President Mwai Kibaki's party and the opposition are beginning to talk of an interim power sharing arrangement, but exactly how this would work and how long it would last, are details that still need to be thrashed out.

(BBC)

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