Addis Abeba – China said it will host the first ever Horn of Africa peace conference in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Abeba on June 20-21, according to reports.
The Horn of Africa peace conference will be the first of its kind after China appointed veteran diplomat Xue Bing as its special envoy for the Horn of Africa region in February this year.
During his visit to Ethiopia in March, Special Envoy Xue Bing told Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen that China wants to support countries in the Horn to address the challenges of security, development, and governance and pursue a path of unity and self-improvement. He also “underscored that Ethiopia should play a constructive role in promoting peace in the Horn of Africa as it is an anchor state in the region,” according to Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
According to South China Morning Post, the Chinese ambassador to Sudan, Ma Xinmin, in a meeting with the Sudanese acting undersecretary for the foreign ministry, Nadir Yousif Al-Tayeb, said the conference is an “initiative from China to enhance stability, development and good governance in this important region”.
It is recalled that during his official visit to Kenya in January this year, the Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, said that conflicts and instability in the Horn of Africa, including Ethiopia, Somalia and Sudan, threaten China’s substantial investments in eastern Africa and that China desires to promote a peace conference. AS
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