Former president Uhuru Kenyatta has announced that he will not be attending Ethiopia peace talks that were scheduled to take place in South Africa this weekend.
The former president said that his inability to attend the talks is because his calendar is already full.
“Regrettably, I wish to notify your good office that I will not be able to attend the AU-Convened Peace Talks scheduled for October 8, 2022, in South Africa owing to conflicts in my schedule,” Uhuru said in a letter to the office of African Union chairman Mousa Faki.
Uhuru, former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, and former South Africa’s Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka were set to mediate between the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) who have been fighting for months in a war that has ravaged large parts of Ethiopia.
“I thank you for your dedication to the Pan-African call for peace in our continent. Please accept, Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration.”
Raila: Why US, Europe didn’t want me to become president
Uhuru further requested for modalities on how the peace talks have been scheduled and asked if they could be rescheduled to allow him prepare and participate.
“Furthermore, as we discuss the agenda for the talks, I hope that among the most urgent issues high on that agenda will be the immediate and unconditional cessation of hostilities,” said Uhuru.
“This silencing of the guns is particularly important to avail the right conditions for the consultations and negotiations while alleviating human suffering and allowing for continued access to humanitarian assistance.”
