Uhuru opts of AU peace talks on Ethiopia conflict
Uhuru opts of AU peace talks on Ethiopia conflict set to be held in South sighting prior engagements
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta and Great Lakes peace envoy has opted out of AU peace talks on the ongoing Ethiopia conflict set to be held in South Africa tomorrow
Uhuru Kenyatta was set to preside over the peace talks scheduled for Saturday, October 8, in South Africa.
Olusegun Obasanjo, a former president of Nigeria, and Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, a former vice president of South Africa, were also to serve as mediators between the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and the Ethiopian government.
Uhuru informed Mousa Faki, the head of the African Union, in a letter that he would be engaged in other tasks.
“Regrettably, I wish to notify your good office that I will not be able to attend the AU-Convened Peace Talks scheduled for October 8, 2022, in South Africa owing to conflicts in my schedule.
“I thank you for your dedication to the Pan-African call for peace in our continent. Please accept, Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration,” Uhuru signed the letter as Kenya’s peace envoy.
Uhuru further requested that the peace talks be rescheduled and said that he would be grateful for more information on the format and logistics of the negotiations, including but not limited to the ground rules for all the invited interlocutors.
He claimed that the clarification would get him ready for his involvement and engagement.
“Furthermore, as we discuss the agenda for the talks, I hope that among the most urgent issues high on that agenda will be the immediate and unconditional cessation of hostilities.
“This silencing of the guns is particularly important to avail the right conditions for the consultations and negotiations while alleviating human suffering and allowing for continued access to humanitarian assistance,” he explained.
The two differing parties (TPLF and the Ethiopian government) had already agreed to the peace talks.
The team was expected to fly to South Africa on Sunday, October 8, for the first rounds of discussions.
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