United Nations ? The U.N. Security Council on Wednesday deplored the widespread violence in Kenya and urged political leaders to resolve the crisis over disputed elections through “dialogue, negotiation and compromise.”

The statement was the first response by the U.N.’s most powerful body to the fighting that erupted after the Dec. 27 presidential election, which has killed more than 800 people in a country once considered among the most stable in Africa.

The council statement expressed concern at the “dire humanitarian situation” in the country, where some 310,000 people have fled their homes, and gave strong backing to negotiations led by former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan to end the violence.

“The council emphasizes that the only solution to the crisis lies through dialogue, negotiation and compromise and strongly urges Kenya’s political leaders to foster reconciliation,” the statement said.