U.S. welcomes power-sharing deal in Kenya

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States welcomed a power-sharing deal signed by rival Kenyan leaders on Thursday aimed at ending post-election violence that left 1,000 people dead, but said much depended on its implementation.

"That's an important and very positive step forward," State Department spokesman Tom Casey said of the agreement signed by Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga.

"We are very pleased to see that this agreement has been reached. It allows the Kenyan people to move forward with a very basic issue of governance," Casey said.

At the same time, he said, "we want to see this agreement implemented," including legislative and constitutional changes it calls for. These are the way to insure that conflict does not recur, he said.

Casey said the United States hoped everyone on both sides would support the deal, adding that Washington would be watching carefully. He said Kenyans who promoted bloodshed still faced potential visa bans by the U.S. government.

The deal creates a prime minister's post for Odinga after negotiations mediated by former U.N. chief Kofi Annan. The two leaders had come under intense pressure to compromise over Kibaki's disputed re-election in a December 27 vote that sparked ethnic violence which forced 300,000 people to flee their homes.

"We certainly appreciate the good will shown by both President Kibaki and Mr. Odinga in reaching this agreement. We certainly would hope that everyone associated with their political parties and movements would work with them to support this deal and move it forward," Casey said.

Earlier this month the United States sent letters to a number of Kenyan politicians suspected of stoking violence, telling them their U.S. visas were under review.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited Kenya this month in a bid to try and support Annan's peace moves and break the deadlock.

(Reporting by Susan Cornwell; Editing by Eric Beech)