Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta
Addis Abeba, November 27,2021- The United States Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta. A statement by the U.S. state department indicated that President Kenyatta and Secretary Blinken agreed on the importance of unhindered humanitarian access for all communities affected by the conflict and reiterated their support for an inclusive political dialogue.
Earlier in November, Secretary Blinken spoke with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta to discuss regional security issues of mutual interest, including the situation in Ethiopia where he acknowledged the President for his continued leadership to promote peace and prosperity in the region. On his November 17 visit to Kenya, it was reported that Blinken endorsed the African Union’s efforts to bring an end to the conflict, with former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo leading the push.
Kenya, whose President alongside foreign envoys and leaders is pushing for an end to the conflict in northern Ethiopia, said it believes Ethiopia’s government and Tigrayan rebels can reach a ceasefire. “We believe in the potential of Ethiopia to find a resolution to this crisis. We believe that a ceasefire is possible,” Kenya’s Foreign Minister Raychelle Omamo.
According to the U.S. state department, after thanking President Kenyatta for his warm and productive visit to Nairobi on November 17-18, Blinken went on to express grave concern about worrying signs of military escalation in Ethiopia and emphasized the need to urgently move to negotiations. AS
