President Uhuru Kenyatta’s special envoy Fred Matiang’i Wednesday presented an invitation to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in Addis Ababa as part of efforts to address the Somalia security problem.
Dr Matiang’i, whose day job is Interior minister, was earlier this week drafted to deliver a special invitation to Somali President Mohamed Farmaajo, and possibly help cool off tensions that arose the previous week.
Wednesday, Dr Matiang’i said his trip to Addis Ababa was to follow up on the security issue, which last week saw Somali National Army and Jubbaland state soldiers exchange gunfire on Kenyan soil in Mandera County.
One person was killed and four others were injured in the fight that lasted four days.
“We’ve held substantive talks with Dr Abiy on Kenya’s desire for more avenues of collaboration to tackle issues on the Somalia border with a view to enhancing regional stability,” Dr Matiang’i tweeted.
Sources said the CS delivered the same information to Addis Ababa, suggesting there could be some form of summit in the works between the leaders of the three countries.
On Wednesday evening, Somalia’s Foreign Minister Ahmed Isse Awad met his Kenyan counterpart Raychelle Omamo for “bilateral talks” closely linked to the security issue.
Kenya and Ethiopia have troops in the African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom).
Somalia has lately tended to favour Ethiopia while castigating Kenya as an adversary, ostensibly because Nairobi supports Jubbaland President Ahmed Madobe, whom Mr Farmaajo refuses to recognise.
EASE TENSIONS
Last week, it was Dr Abiy who brokered deal in which Mr Kenyatta and Mr Farmaajo agreed to speak by phone.
It eased tensions and showed the influence Dr Abiy has over the Somali leader.