Annan: "We cannot afford to fail" in Kenya

LONDON (Reuters) - International mediators cannot afford to fail in Kenya, former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, who has been leading efforts to end violence in the East African country, said on Friday.

Annan, who has met President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga to try to end violence that erupted after a disputed election in December, said he expected the country's political leaders to give way in their standoff.

Official results pronounced Kibaki the winner and he was sworn in for a second term, but Odinga and his followers say the results were falsified.

"I think there is a gross and systematic abuse of human rights, and there have been ethnic overtones, where there have been attacks and then revenge attacks. But if it's brought down quickly I think we will be able to stem the mayhem and the killing and the murders that have been going on," he said.

"There has been a failure of leadership because at certain levels they should have anticipated some of the events. The signals have been around for a long time," he said.

"And I don't think people who are ambitious and believe they have a political future would want to place themselves in that position."