Kenya Burns as the AU Watches

Kenya, the once prosperous former British colony, continues to demonstrate that democracy is a magical panacea for all problems, particularly for mitigating violence and extremism.

African Union (AU) commission chairman Alpha Oumar Konare told them they could not just sit by. "If Kenya burns, there will be nothing for tomorrow," he said.

More than 850 people have died in political and ethnic clashes since last month's elections, which the opposition says were rigged.

In Nairobi, talks between government and opposition have been postponed.

Substantive negotiations started for the first time on Thursday but were adjourned until Friday after an opposition MP was shot dead by a policeman in the western town of Eldoret.

The death of David Too has raised tensions in Eldoret, the scene of serious violence this month.

Mr Konare - the AU's top executive - said it was the AU's duty to support the mediation process.

"Kenya is a country that was a hope for the continent," he said.

"Today, if you look at Kenya you see violence on the streets. We are even talking about ethnic cleansing. We are even talking about genocide.

"We cannot sit here with our hands folded."

Mr. Konare either has amnesia or just likes to issue dramatic, but deliberately empty, comments for the international press. The AU sat by idly while Rwanda erupted in mindless slaughter, has done nothing to stop ethnic-cleansing by Muslims in Darfour, and has openly applauded Zimbabwe's president-from-hell Robert Mugabe as he drives his nation straight into the trash bin. Nor has the AU done a thing to stem the rising corruption and violence in South Africa, Nigeria and - well - pretty much the rest of the continent. The AU will indeed sit with its hands folded, while AU bureaucrats dine extravagantly at fancy conferences and wring their hands for the press about the unfolding nightmare. This, of course, is the real purpose of all international organizations like the AU - or the UN.