Kenya PM urges Eritrea to back regional peace
By Tesfa-Alem Tekle
October 29, 2012 (ADDIS ABABA) – Kenyan president, Mwai Kibaki, on Monday urged Eritrea to support regional peace initiatives before it re-joins the regional grouping of Horn and East African nations, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).
“President Kibaki welcomed Eritrea’s decision to rejoin IGAD subject to the Government of Eritrea’s support for regional peace initiatives,” said a presidential statement.
Kibaki added that Kenya is ready to work closely with neighbouring countries committed to promote regional peace and security.
When Kibaki was IGAD?s chairman, Asmara asked Kenya’s support in an effort to end regional isolation.
Eritrea had been opposing IGAD?s peace keeping policies in Somalia; it supports the presence of foreign peacekeeping forces aiming to bring stability to the war-torn.
Eritrea fought a border war with Ethiopia during 1998-2000. Eritrea opposes the presence of Ethiopian troops in Somalia, which were deployed there in 2006 to help the transitional government ousts an Islamist insurgent group, the Islamic Courts Union, who then declared holy war against Ethiopia.
Eritrea’s relation with IGAD worsened when it aimed to mediate a border dispute with Ethiopia.
Eritrea pulled out of IGAD in 2007 after member states accused the nation of failing to work for regional peace. It was also accused of having ties with destabilising forces in the region.
The isolated state of Eritrea last year officially asked to reactivate its membership to IGAD.
Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Djibouti, Sudan, Somalia Eritrea and, more recently South Sudan, make up the IGAD which leads activities of regional peace, security, development and related initiatives.
During the meeting, Kibaki also assured Russom that the issue of visas for Eritreans was being addressed by the relevant government agencies.
(ST)