Duncan Miriri

MOMBASA (Kenya) -China announced Thursday that it will appoint a special envoy for peace and stability in the Horn of Africa. It also wants to focus more on infrastructure trade than on politics.

The comments were made in Kenya by Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Kenya has been actively involved in diplomatic efforts to halt the war in Ethiopia between Prime Minister Abiy Ahmad’s federal government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front TPLF.

Eritrea also hosted him. It borders the northern Tigray area and is an ally to Abiy during conflict that left thousands dead, hundreds of thousands homeless, and has spread hunger.

Wang spoke via interpreter at a Mombasa press conference, saying, “To reach political consensus, and coordinate actions, China will appoint an envoy of its ministry of foreign affairs to the Horn of Africa.”

Wang said that the Horn of Africa countries should take control of their destiny and hold a conference to discuss peace. Somalia is the other region in conflict. There, Islamist militants al Shabaab have been fighting a Western-backed government.

China is known for its focus on trade and economic development in Africa, which Wang didn’t mention.

Beijing is willing to assist Eritrea in developing its Red Sea coast, he stated, but he did not elaborate on this.

Six agreements were signed by Chinese officials with Kenyan counterparts. One allowed Kenyan farmers the ability to export fresh avocados from Kenya to China. According to Rachel Omamo of Kenya, the foreign minister, this will help Kenya reduce its trade deficit with China.

Kenya will receive a donation of 10 million COVID-19 vaccine doses from China, both sides said, part of 1 billion extra doses https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/chinas-xi-pledges-10-bln-credit-line-african-financial-institutions-2021-11-29 pledged to Africa by China late last year.

“WHAT AFRICA WANTS”

China’s shift from lending hard infrastructure loans to African nations towards increasing trade has been reflected in Wang’s statement.

“It doesn’t matter what China does, but it is what Africa wants,” he stated.

Wang claimed that Africa’s demands were increasing due to the development of roads, railways, and vaccines.

Analysts have also attributed the slowdown in Chinese infrastructure lending in Africa https://www.reuters.com/markets/europe/african-nations-mend-make-do-china-tightens-belt-road-2021-11-22 to China’s own economic troubles caused by the pandemic, a commodity price crash that has complicated African debt servicing, and other factors.

China is interested in Horn. It has its naval base in Djibouti. A tiny country overlooking a major global shipping route, this small nation serves China’s interests. Beijing granted huge loans to Ethiopia, a landlocked country that relies on Djibouti for its port.

Instabilities in South Sudan where China holds large oil investments and spillovers from Somalia have also put a threat to the region. These attacks are causing havoc in neighboring Kenya where China also has very important interests.

Wang met Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta earlier on Thursday. They then inspected a new Mombasa oil terminal, constructed by China Communication Construction Company(CCCC), for 40 Billion Shillings (353.67 Million).