China’s special envoy to the Horn of Africa, Xue Bing, said Beijing was ready to help the region’s countries find peace and get rid of what he called external interference. Xue made the remarks at China and the Horn of Africa’s first peace, government and development conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
With six Horn of African countries represented at the meeting, Xue noted that local unrest and divisions were on the rise, and that the Cold War mentality and power politics were re-emerging, while peace and development were met with resistance. .
Even though China has been a long-standing trading partner in Africa, this is the first time it has apparently intervened in the politics of African countries – a change in policy for China.
Xue said earlier this year that China’s outlook for peace and development for the Horn of Africa focused on the region’s reality and its past experience, and was aimed at helping countries in the region get rid of external interference.
“China will continue to support countries in the region to uphold the vision of common, comprehensive, collaborative and sustainable security,” he said. “To protect peace and security in the region, and to silence the guns in the Horn of Africa.”
Ambassador Redwan Hussein, national security adviser to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, noted that countries in the Horn should use different approaches to tackle the challenges of poverty, drought, illegal immigration and refugees, terrorism, climate change, internal displacement and the effects of war.
“The link between peace and security is too obvious to be extended here,” he said. “Relieving the region of the burden of war and conflict, and ensuring peace and security, remains the priority of all parties. The people of the region have suffered enough, and it is our duty to use a civilized, mature way to address our problems and differences. ”
China stressed that it was consistently convinced that countries in the Horn had made the critical decision to seek power through solidarity and a political wisdom to resolve differences through dialogue and consultation.
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