Africa
U.S. welcomes Kenyatta’s appointment as peace envoy
September 15, 2022 (KHARTOUM) – The U.S. administration on Thursday welcomed the appointment of former President Uhuru Kenyatta as Kenya’s peace envoy to the Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes region.
In a tweet posted on Thursday, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of African Affairs hoped that Kenyatta would play a crucial role at a critical time for conflicts in the mentioned volatile regions.
“We welcome the appointment of Uhuru Kenyatta as peace envoy for the conflict in Northern Ethiopia and in Eastern DRC. A critical time for both conflicts – his work will be crucial,” the Bureau of African Affairs tweet reads.
Kenyatta pushed for negotiations and peaceful resolutions to end the nearly two-year-long bloody conflict in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region.
The conflict between Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and government forces resumed about two weeks ago, ending a five-month-long humanitarian truce agreed by both warring parties.
As well as in Ethiopia, during his 10 years in office, the former Kenyan President was significantly involved in peace talks in South Sudan, DR Congo and Somalia.
During his inauguration ceremony on Tuesday, the newly elected Kenyan president William Ruto appointed his predecessor Kenyatta as his peace envoy for Ethiopia and the Great Lakes Region and the Horn of Africa, which will make the former president continue chairing regional peace efforts representing the Kenyan government.
“I have committed that the government of Kenya will support those initiatives that will be chaired by President Kenyatta and I want to thank you, Excellency, for graciously agreeing to support us and help me in those interventions,” President Ruto said while delivering his inauguration maiden speech.
According to Kenyan media outlets, President Ruto acknowledged his predecessors’ efforts and diplomacy toward the promotion of peace, security and stability in the region, vowing to fully support his peace intervention endeavours.
Under the administration of the former President, Kenya moderated various peace initiatives in the region including chairing the African Union Peace and Security Council, the standing decision-making organ of the continental body for the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts in Africa.
Kenya has been representing Africa at the United Nations Security Council since January 2021 for one year and will be succeeded by Mozambique for the year 2023.
Kenyatta’s appointment as peace envoy came shortly after Tigray forces who are at war with the federal government agreed to negotiate with Addis Ababa under the auspices of the African Union.
Tigray’s leaders have repeatedly questioned AU’s neutrality on the peace process and instead preferred Kenya to have the lead role in the mediation, bringing on board the U.S., EU and the UN alongside the African Union (AU).
Tigray’s doubt on AU’s neutrality is largely over the “proximity” Olusegun Obasanjo, AU’s special envoy to the Horn of Africa has with the Ethiopian Prime Minister.
For its part, Addis Ababa insisted on sitting for unconditional talks “anytime, anywhere,” only if brokered by the Addis Ababa-headquartered continental bloc.
(ST)