Efforts to broker a reconciliation between warring political factions in Kenya suffered a setback today when a international diplomatic mission backed by Britain and the US was called off.

The decision came after a day of chaos and violence in the capital Nairobi and Mombasa as police clashed with protesters, the opposition called off a flashpoint rally and UK tour operators cancelled trips to Kenya.

John Kufuor, the President of Ghana, had been due to arrive in Nairobi this evening with a team of mediators to attempt to set up dialogue between President Mwai Kibaki and his defeated rival Raila Odinga, who has refused to accept the results of last week's election, triggering violence in which 300 people have died.

But the joint African Union and Commonwealth mission has been called off at the last minute. No reason has yet been given, although Mr Kibaki had given the plan a frosty reception, claiming there was no need for mediation. This afternoon, however, Mr Kibaki appeared to strike a note of reconciliation when he offered to meet his opposition rivals "once the nation is calm". International leaders, including President Bush and the EU demanded an end to the fighting.

The tribalism that colours Kenyan life

The eruption of violence following Kenya's elections has brought to the fore the latent tribalism present in every day life

Multimedia

• Video comment: Richard Dowden, Africa expert

• Video: violence in Nairobi

Multimedia

• Pictures: Kenyan elections protests

BACKGROUND

• FCO issues Kenya travel warning

• 50 die in blazing church as tribal war looms

• ‘We’ve spent three days hiding in our homes’

• British tourists told to stay indoors

Related Links

• Q&A: travel to Kenya latest

• Step Back, Kenya

• Kenya teeters on the brink

Multimedia

• Pictures: Kenyan elections protests

• Video: gunshots and tear gas at protest

• Expat blog: 'mad with fury'

Meanwhile it was reported that army generals were putting pressure on Mr Kibaki to come to the negotiating table, by drawing up a plan for mediation between the warring sides.

Pressure on Mr Kibaki increased from another direction this afternoon when Amos Wako, the Kenyan Attorney-General, said that an independent body could be asked to verify the votes in last week's elections.

Earlier in Nairobi, paramilitary police blocked off Uhuru Park in the centre of town where the opposition’s planned "million-man" rally was due to be held, and used volleys of tear gas and water cannon to break up crowds of protesters every time they tried to form.

Amid the confusion, a top ODM official said the rally had been cancelled and called on supporters to go home. Some Opposition activists have indicated that the march will now take place tomorrow, while others say that it will be rescheduled to January 8.

The violent confrontation and high death toll that had been feared at the attempted rally today, however, did not however materialise. One dead body was reported near a looted petrol station, and three people were shot dead by police who fired on a crowd approaching a police station, but there appeared to have been no large scale loss of life.

All the UK’s major tour operators have suspended holidays to Kenya for the next two days, the Federation of Tour Operators announced, after the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office issued a warning late last night against all nonessential travel to Kenya.

Britons in Kenya are being urged to exercise extreme caution and to avoid all political rallies and large public meetings for fear of violence breaking out, and plans are being drawn up for the possible evacuation of tourists.

Warning that Kenya was "quickly degenerating into a catastrophe of unimaginable proportions," Mr Wako said both sides should agree on an independent person or body to carry out "a proper tally" of votes.

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