Ibro
When you want to fool the world, tell the truth.
Link: https://www.africaintelligence.com/...ssels-to-negotiate-with-farmajo,109628699-ar1
As Uhuru Kenyatta and his Somalian opposite number Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Farmajo position their armies on either side of their common border, American, British and European diplomats are trying to persuade the Kenyan head of state to engage in talks. With just a few weeks to go to the presidential elections in Somalia, the situation is explosive.
The Kenyan president was in an agitated state when he received a visit from American ambassador in Nairobi Kyle McCarter and General Stephen Townsend, head of US Africa command AFRICOM, on 15 December. Officially, Uhuru Kenyatta and his guests talked about military cooperation between their two countries but the latest developments in the conflict between Kenya and Somalia invited themselves onto the meeting agenda. The American diplomat insisted on the Kenyan head of state attending the summit of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) on 20 December, which has been organised urgently by Sudanese president Abdalla Hamdok (Africa Intelligence, 15/12/20).
Kenyatta planned to boycott the summit which is due to take place in Djibouti, where he would have been brought face to face with Somalian president Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Farmajo. Their two countries broke off diplomatic relations on 15 December, two weeks after Somalia expelled Kenyan ambassador in Mogadishu Lucas Tumbo. The Somalian government has accused Kenya of interfering in Somalia's internal politics. Fearing an escalation in the dispute, Kenyatta has already asked his chief of defence staff, General Robert Kibochi, to send troops to Mandera on the Kenyan border with Somalia. General Odowaa Yusuf Rageh, head of the Somali National Armed Forces, positioned his troops on the other side of the border in the night of 15-16 December.
Farmajo irritated by Kenyatta's ties with Madobe and Bihi On 16 December, Kenyatta also received calls from the British and European representatives in Nairobi, Jane Marriott and Simon Mordue. Like their American opposite number, they pressed Kenyatta to go to Djibouti on 20 December. They also asked Kenyatta to put on hold his relations with the presidents of Somaliland and Jubaland, Musa Bihi Abdi and Ahmed Mohamed Islam, aka Madobe.
The welcome given by Kenyatta to separatist president Bihi in Nairobi on 14 December was the coup de grace to relations between Kenya and Somalia. Kenyatta promised Bihi that he would open a consulate in Somaliland in March 2021. There was also talk of setting up a regular Kenya Airways link between Nairobi and Hargeisa. Relations between Kenyatta and Famajo began to deteriorate in late November when the Somalian government accused Kenya of encouraging Madobe to go back on an electoral agreement concluded with the federal government on 17 September.
The European, American and British diplomats also asked Kenyatta not to act hastily by withdrawing Kenyan troops from the African Union's AMISOM mission in Somalia. The Kenyan president has again threatened to withdraw from the operation, the end of which has been regularly postponed but is currently set for 28 February 2021 - after the elections in Somalia on 8 February.
So, what you think guys?
As Uhuru Kenyatta and his Somalian opposite number Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Farmajo position their armies on either side of their common border, American, British and European diplomats are trying to persuade the Kenyan head of state to engage in talks. With just a few weeks to go to the presidential elections in Somalia, the situation is explosive.
The Kenyan president was in an agitated state when he received a visit from American ambassador in Nairobi Kyle McCarter and General Stephen Townsend, head of US Africa command AFRICOM, on 15 December. Officially, Uhuru Kenyatta and his guests talked about military cooperation between their two countries but the latest developments in the conflict between Kenya and Somalia invited themselves onto the meeting agenda. The American diplomat insisted on the Kenyan head of state attending the summit of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) on 20 December, which has been organised urgently by Sudanese president Abdalla Hamdok (Africa Intelligence, 15/12/20).
Kenyatta planned to boycott the summit which is due to take place in Djibouti, where he would have been brought face to face with Somalian president Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Farmajo. Their two countries broke off diplomatic relations on 15 December, two weeks after Somalia expelled Kenyan ambassador in Mogadishu Lucas Tumbo. The Somalian government has accused Kenya of interfering in Somalia's internal politics. Fearing an escalation in the dispute, Kenyatta has already asked his chief of defence staff, General Robert Kibochi, to send troops to Mandera on the Kenyan border with Somalia. General Odowaa Yusuf Rageh, head of the Somali National Armed Forces, positioned his troops on the other side of the border in the night of 15-16 December.
Farmajo irritated by Kenyatta's ties with Madobe and Bihi On 16 December, Kenyatta also received calls from the British and European representatives in Nairobi, Jane Marriott and Simon Mordue. Like their American opposite number, they pressed Kenyatta to go to Djibouti on 20 December. They also asked Kenyatta to put on hold his relations with the presidents of Somaliland and Jubaland, Musa Bihi Abdi and Ahmed Mohamed Islam, aka Madobe.
The welcome given by Kenyatta to separatist president Bihi in Nairobi on 14 December was the coup de grace to relations between Kenya and Somalia. Kenyatta promised Bihi that he would open a consulate in Somaliland in March 2021. There was also talk of setting up a regular Kenya Airways link between Nairobi and Hargeisa. Relations between Kenyatta and Famajo began to deteriorate in late November when the Somalian government accused Kenya of encouraging Madobe to go back on an electoral agreement concluded with the federal government on 17 September.
The European, American and British diplomats also asked Kenyatta not to act hastily by withdrawing Kenyan troops from the African Union's AMISOM mission in Somalia. The Kenyan president has again threatened to withdraw from the operation, the end of which has been regularly postponed but is currently set for 28 February 2021 - after the elections in Somalia on 8 February.
So, what you think guys?
