About 1,000 people have died since December:
NAIROBI, Kenya — The death toll in Kenya surpassed 1,000 people on Tuesday as negotiations to end the country’s violent political crisis entered a critical stage.
According to the Red Cross, most of the killings have been in the turbulent Rift Valley, where gangs from opposing ethnic groups have fought fiercely in the past few days.
“It’s a very volatile situation out there,” said Anthony Mwangi, a spokesman for the Kenya Red Cross.
Mr. Mwangi said that more than 300,000 people had been driven from their homes and the continuing insecurity, especially in the countryside, was slowing down the delivery of food, water and tents.
On Tuesday, officials from the government and Kenya’s top opposition party began specific discussions about how to address the political crisis. Both sides have so far refused to budge, claiming they won the election in December.
The United Nations is mediating the dispute, so it’s likely to drag on for months.
