Uhuru Kenyatta to Skip AU Peace Talks on Ethiopia

Former President Uhuru Kenyatta will skip the peace talks on Ethiopia conflict set to be held in South Africa Saturday October 8, 2022.

The former Kenyan President cited prior engagement.

The Ethiopian Government and rebel group Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) are expected to hold peace talks with the aim of resolving the on-going conflict.

The peace talks will be led by the African Union Special Representative for the Horn of Africa and former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo.

Kenyatta, who is President William Ruto’s Peace Envoy to the Horn and Great Lakes region, was invited by the African Union Commission Chairperson, Moussa Faki Mahamat.

He was supposed to be part of a “troika of negotiators” to help the warring parties establish terms of their dialogue.

In a diplomatic note to the AU, he queried the structure of the mediation and said he was willing to help at a later date.

“However, in the interim, and as you consider the possibility for another date for the peace talks, I would be grateful to receive further clarity on the structure and modalities of the talks, including but not limited to the rules of engagement for all the interlocutors invited,” Kenyatta wrote.

He added: “This clarification would greatly help in preparations for my engagement and participation.”