Kofi Annan immediately said that though his team had accepted the rejection of the South African political strategist accredited for his contribution to end apartheid, he would soon be proposing another person to co-lead the process out of the post-election mayhem that has rocked Kenya over the last month.

Cyril Ramaphosa, withdrew "in the face of reservations by the government and Party of National Unity," and his withdrawal was accepted with regret, Annan said in a statement.

Ramaphosa said he could not function in the job "without the complete confidence of both parties."

"I thought I should withdraw and go back to South Africa so I don't become a stumbling block myself," he told reporters outside the Serena Hotel, the venue of the negotiations.

The announcement came hours after Kenya's opposing political forces resumed talks to end weeks of violence at a Nairobi hotel.

Meanwhile, seven people were killed overnight in battles between Kisii and Kalenjin communities.

Humphrey Nakitare, the District Commissioner in the region has confirmed in a phone interview.

On Monday, hundreds of youths — armed with bows and arrows and machetes — attacked one another in an area where 2,000 people have fled their homes during nine days of clashes, Rift Valley Provincial Commissioner Hassan Noor said.

Dozens of houses were burned overnight, witnesses said.


See videos on post-election Kenya and on the whole election coverage
See the Kenya Protest - Day One photo gallery
See The Kenya Protest - Day Two photo gallery
See the Nakuru displaced photo gallery
See the burial of violence victim photo gallery


Keywords: kenya_elections