Kenya ? Kenya’s opposition leader was sworn into office as the country’s prime minister Thursday, fulfilling a key step in a power-sharing deal aimed at ending a deadly political crisis in the East African nation.

Within hours, a feared gang promised to heed new Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s call to stop its campaign of terror in the capital – one small sign that resolving Kenya’s political crisis could help return peace and stability to the fragile nation.

More than 1,000 people were killed and 300,000 displaced following the December elections that both Odinga and President Mwai Kibaki claimed to win. With the violence escalating, the rivals agreed in February to share power – but then wrangled for weeks over how to divide up their coalition Cabinet.

On Thursday, ministers finally took up their positions, 20 each from Kibaki’s and Odinga’s camps. Kibaki’s party retained the key finance and internal security ministries and Raila’s allies will head up agriculture and oversee local government.

The entire government, including Odinga, swore an oath of loyalty to the president.

“Kenyans will be watching your performance and they’ll judge you by the services you deliver,” Kibaki said at the inauguration ceremony.