KENYA:Police fired tear gas to disperse stone-throwing youths near an opposition funeral yesterday, but former UN secretary general Kofi Annan still managed a positive start to efforts to mediate in Kenya's political crisis.
In an early success on his first day in Kenya, Mr Annan persuaded the opposition Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) to call off street protests scheduled to resume today.
"On the request of the mediation team, we have called off the activities we had planned for tomorrow," ODM official William Ruto said after party leaders met Mr Annan.
In chaotic scenes at the funeral, several tear gas canisters landed in a Nairobi football field where coffins were laid out and opposition leader Raila Odinga was winding up an oration for 28 slum-dwellers whom he said were shot by police.
Pro-opposition youths then set fire to a post office.
"This is a war between the people of Kenya and a small clique of very bloodthirsty people who want to cling on to power at all costs," Mr Odinga told mourners. "Let us stand as one people to liberate our country."
Mr Annan's talks were designed to resolve a post-election stalemate that threatens to wreck the east African country's image as a stable democracy.
He held talks with Mr Odinga before planned talks with President Mwai Kibaki.