Alpha Konare, the head of the African Union, said on Thursday that Kenya was facing genocide and that Africa’s leaders must make it a priority to resolve the crisis. On the opening of the three-day summit Konare said, “Kenya is a country that was a hope for the continent. Today, if you look at Kenya you see violence on the streets.” He continued, “We are even talking about ethnic cleansing, We are even talking about genocide. We cannot sit with our hands folded. If Kenya burns, there will be nothing for tomorrow.”

Until a month ago, Kenya was more used to attending summits of the 53-nation AU as a respected regional peacemaker and a refuge for those fleeing wars in neighbouring countries.

Now it is Africa’s biggest crisis, torn by a cycle of ethnic bloodshed that threatens to destabilize a key regional ally of the West and damage the economies of several neighboring countries that are landlocked and rely on the Kenya port of Mombasa for the delivery of much needed supplies.

Over 250,000 Kenyans have fled their homes and 850 people have died since the disputed December 27th re-election of Mwai Kibaki. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon also encouraged “the leaders and people of Kenya to calm the violence and resolve their differences through dialogue and respect for the democratic process”. Leaders and diplomats at the AU summit will be addressing peacekeeping operations in Darfur, Somalia, and upcoming elections in Zimbabwe, which is also mired in a political and economic crisis. United States assistant secretary of state for African affairs Jendayi Frazer also referred to the deaths in Kenya as “ethnic cleansing,” a remark which has been distanced by a state department official who said the comment was not that of the government.

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