World Notes KENYA

The exercise in shuttle diplomacy was intended to repair U.S.-Kenyan relations, which have become increasingly strained since President Daniel arap Moi's crackdown on dissidents last month. Afterward, Moi described the talks in such glowing terms as "friendly," "genuine" and "sincere." But U.S. officials had a decidedly different assessment of the three-day parley. One diplomat declared that Kenya had "backstepped politically and economically."

Last week another U.S. official was even more blunt. Relations between the two countries were "at a turning point," he said to TIME after the meeting. "We told Moi that he has one month to make some changes." After that, he explained to the Kenyans, there would be no chance of deterring a disapproving Congress from cutting U.S. aid.