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EU urges freeze on Kenya aid
European parliament wants halt to funds until Kenya's vote dispute is resolved.
Last Modified: 17 Jan 2008 15:58 GMT
Louis Michel, the EU aid and development commissioner, said aid could be suspended [AFP]

The European parliament has called for a freeze on EU aid to Kenya until the crisis over the re-election of Mwai Kibaki, the Kenyan president, is solved.
 
In Thursday's resolution, the parliament asked "for the freezing of all further budgetary support to the government of Kenya until a political resolution to the present crisis has been found".
The parliament does not have direct power over the EU's aid budget but can advise member states on how to act.
 
Although EU aid to Kenya is limited compared with that given to poorer African countries, the EU is one of Nairobi's top donors, providing $425m between 2002 and 2007.

A further $562m of aid is planned for 2008-2013.

Reviewing relations

The 27-member bloc is reviewing its relations with Kenya and studying what actions to take if current African mediation efforts fail to resolve the country's political crisis.

Louis Michel, the EU aid and development commissioner, said on Wednesday that budgetary aid could be suspended if the crisis remained unsolved.

Condemning the violence in a crisis that has killed hundreds, the politicians in Strasbourg said that the result of the election was not credible and called for a fresh vote if a fair recount was not possible.

The parliament said it was "deeply preoccupied by the social repercussions of the current economic crisis, its detrimental effect on the country's socio-economic development and the economic consequences for neighbouring countries".

The members of European parliament criticised the EU executive for disbursing $60m of budgetary aid on December 28, a day after the election.

Michel said the aid had been disbursed before doubts over the presidential vote results had emerged.

Source:
Agencies
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