Washington, DC –
U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and its subcommittee on Africa
, welcomes the agreement, brokered by former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to end the month-long violence in the East African nation of Kenya.

“I applaud the successful mediation effort by Kofi Annan” stated Cardin.
  “The United States, Great Britain and the African Union should support the parties in their efforts to cease the violence and promote political reconciliation.”

“Whatever the underlying differences are, Kenya must restore peace in order for investment and tourism to return unabated,” Senator Cardin quipped.
  He also signaled the importance of Kenya’s role with neighboring states: “Kenya is needed to provide essential supplies in southern and western Sudan.
  If Kenya gets a cold, Sudan may catch pneumonia.
  The international community must monitor the events closely and be prepared to back Annan’s fledgling plan.”

Kenya was thrown into violent unrest after the controversial election results of December 27, 2007.
  Many Kenyan and international observers believe the Presidential election was rigged in favor of the incumbent Mwai Kibaki.
  Raila Odinga’s opposition party organized protest rallies to oppose the election outcome and thus far about 900 Kenyans have lost their lives in the ongoing unrest.

Senator Cardin will look next to a hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the crisis in Kenya, which will take place on Thursday, February 7, 2008 at 9:30 a.m.