Accra, March 4, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor has expressed delight at last week's power-sharing agreement brokered by the Kofi Annan-led panel of eminent African personalities resulting in the formation of a coalition government in Kenya.

In separate messages to Mr Annan, President Mwai Kibaki of Kenya and opposition leader Raila Odinga, President Kufuor said he was "filled with a mixture of pride and relief" following the successful mediation which had led to a renewed sense of optimism in the future of Kenya.

He also lauded the tenacity and determination of Mr Annan, the former UN Secretary General, and his team especially for making the negotiations a matter of priority, despite the demand on their time. President Kufuor encouraged President Kibaki and the new Prime Minister, Mr Odinga, to remain resolute in honouring the terms of the agreement and thereby demonstrate a high sense in maturity and compromise in meeting the challenges arising out of the implementation. President Kufuor, then AU Chairman, initiated peace building efforts following the post-election conflict in Kenya by undertaking a fact-finding trip to Nairobi where he extracted the commitment of the parties to end violence and resort to dialogue.

Subsequently, he commissioned Mr Annan and his team to further the process which was characterized by intense negotiations culminating in the fresh accord.

Mr Annan's Team of Eminent Persons members who spearheaded the talks are former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa and the wife of former South African President Nelson Mandela, Graca.