Kenya PM calls for 'suspension' of Mugabe from AU

(Reuters)

Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga urged the African Union (AU) today to suspend Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe from the body.

"The African Union should not accept or entertain Mr Mugabe," Odinga told reporters in Nairobi. "He should be suspended until he allows the African Union to facilitate free and fair elections between him and his opponent."

Odinga - whose power-sharing agreement with Kenya's President Mwai Kibaki after a disputed election in December has been touted by some as a possible solution for Zimbabwe - is one of the continent's most vocal critics of Mugabe.

At the weekend, Odinga, known for his fiery rhetoric and flamboyant style, also urged the AU to send troops into Zimbabwe.

"Right now Mugabe is a crisis, they have no president with legitimacy to run the country," he said.

Mugabe went to the AU summit in Egypt today after being re-elected in a one-candidate election condemned by regional monitors. "The (African) union will be setting a very dangerous precedent for the continent if Mr Mugabe is accepted to participate as a duly elected president," Odinga said.