Annan pursues peace talks in Kenya

Nairobi: Former UN secretary general Kofi Annan has met with Kenya's opposition leader Raila Odinga on Sunday in an attempt to pursue peace talks amid the death of another 17 people killed in ethnic clashes across the country.

The ethnic violence has undermined efforts to mediate a month-long crisis that has killed more than 850 people and left 260,000 displaced across the country since the disputed December 27 election

The former UN chief said that the unrest sparked by President Mwai Kibaki's disputed reelection had led to "gross and systematic" human rights abuses, after visiting the violence-wracked

"We saw gross and systematic human rights abuses of fellow citizens," Annan said in Nairobi after returning from nearby in the Rift Valley province, which has seen some of the worst incidents of post-election violence.

"Impunity cannot be allowed to stand," added Annan, while accompanied by former Tanzanian president Benjamin Mkapa and Graca Machel, wife of former South African president Nelson Mandela.

The latest peace efforts have been hampered by the ongoing violence, which has damaged the economy and tarnished Kenya's reputation as a beacon of stability in the region.