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Civil War Threatens in Kenya After Disputed Vote

Ethnic and political violence broke out in Kenya Saturday after President Mwai Kibaki declared himself the winner of elections there. The opposition accuse him of rigging the vote amid violent protests. German papers are calling for calm.

Kenya's sudden lurch into violence has killed more than 124 people since Saturday, rousing the attention of commentators around the world who were used to thinking of the country as a democratic pillar of East Africa. The Associated Press reported Monday that police had shoot-to-kill orders from the government.

Opposition leader Raila Odinga said President Mwai Kibaki's swearing-in on Saturday for a second five-year term -- despite crucial questions about the vote -- was illegal. Odinga himself had claimed victory earlier the same day. EU election monitors have said the counting process "lacks credibility," and even Kenya's election chief admits to problems in what has proved to be the closest presidential race in the nation's history. Some districts showed unlikely voter turnouts of 99 or 100 percent; one even reported 115 percent.

On Sunday, Odinga was in no mood to back down. "There is no difference between (Kibaki) and Idi Amin and other military dictators who have seized power through the barrel of the gun," he told a news conference. German papers on Monday morning -- alarmed at the sudden instability near the already unstable Horn of Africa -- are unanimously calling for peace, order and a re-count.

The left-wing daily Die Tageszeitung writes:

"Kenya has a good reputation in Africa. After decades of one-party rule and corruption, the last 10 years have seen the consolidation of a contentious multi-party democratic system. The economy is dynamic; tourism is booming. But it has taken only a few days and a questionable presidential election to push the hope of Africa to the edge of civil war."

"For a long time Kenya was the most stable country and the most important pillar of Western interests in the region. It is still the most important transit nation for exports from half of East and Central Africa. We can only hope the two sides will reconcile over this unfortunate election. In a time when even South Africa finds itself in crisis and conflicts roil on in Sudan, Somalia and Congo, an unstable Kenya would be a catastrophe for Africa."

The left-leaning Berliner Zeitung writes:

"Everyone knew the election on Thursday would be close. Both main rivals, President Kibaki and his challenger Odinga, have therefore tried to counterfeit results -- members of the incumbent government more efficiently than members of the opposition, EU observers have attested. The rivals, justifiably, have accused each other of cheating. The pronouncement of victory for Kibaki by the election commission is therefore illegitimate. No such government can accomplish anything good. The underdog can take advantage of the winner's weaknesses and drive the nation toward ethnic violence. But he can also try to win influence by a march through Kenya's democratic institutions: There are laws he can use to demand a re-count. But the notion that Kibaki and Odinga might govern in a sort of grand coalition, as president and prime minister, seems (unlikely)."

The center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung writes:

"(Kibaki and Odinga) have both worsened the situation by declaring themselves winners before all votes were counted. If they were real statesmen, they would have waited for complete election results and shown public respect for the will of the voters."

"With this amateur election Kenya has gambled away its reputation as an exemplary African state. That would be sad enough. But this devastating signal out of East Africa will burden the democratic ambitions of the entire continent."

-- Michael Scott Moore, 2:00 p.m. CET