U.S. top diplomat Blinken in Kenya for two-day State visit
United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken arrived in Nairobi today morning for a two-day State visit.
The plane carrying Blinken landed at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport at 1am and he was received by Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Raychelle Omamo and US embassy officials.
Announcing his arrival via Twitter, Blinken said he looks forward to meeting different stakeholders and discuss matters of shared interests.
“Vipi WaKenya! Glad to be in Kenya, a nation with which we have a deep and long-standing friendship. Looking forward to meeting with government officials and civil society to discuss our shared interests and affirm our strategic partnership,” he tweeted.
Blinken will meet President Uhuru Kenyatta to discuss topics including cooperation on ending the COVID-19 pandemic and regional security issues such as Ethiopia, Somalia and Sudan.
“…and building back to a more inclusive global economy, combatting the climate crisis, revitalizing our democracies, and advancing peace and security,” read part of the statement.
The Secretary will also underscore U.S. support for a peaceful and inclusive Kenyan election in 2022.
Blinken is on a four day of Africa and is also expected to visit Senegal and Nigeria.
This comes after Kenyatta was hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden.
After the meeting, the White House said the pair “discussed their shared commitment to defending democracy and human rights, advancing regional peace and security, and accelerating economic prosperity through climate-smart solutions and the use of renewable energy resources.”
The White House also said that the two “underscored the need to bring additional transparency and accountability to domestic and international financial systems and to advance peaceful resolutions to the conflicts in Somalia and Ethiopia.”
Ethiopia, war has raged in the northern Tigray region for nearly a year.
The war has killed thousands, forced more than two million people from their homes, sucked in troops from neighbouring Eritrea and left hundreds of thousands in famine.
Fighting has spread into neighbouring Afar and Amhara regions, threatening the stability of Ethiopia and the wider Horn of Africa.
Ethiopian authorities rounded up high-profile Tigrayans from a bank CEO to priests as well as United Nations staff in a mass crackdown on suspected supporters of rebellious northern forces, according to people linked to the detainees.
Ethiopia declared a state of emergency as Tigrayan forces pushed south towards the capital Addis Ababa. That allows for indefinite detentions and requires citizens to carry ID cards that can indicate ethnic origin.
