Chinese envoy's visit sets momentum for Horn peace conference

President Isaias Afwerki in Asmara with Ambassador Xue Bing. [Twitter, @ChinaEmbEritrea]

The newly appointed Chinese envoy for the Horn of Africa, Ambassador Xue Bing, is currently on his inaugural visit to the region that has so far taken him to Kenya, Eritrea, Ethiopia, South Sudan and Somalia.

The diplomat’s mission was primed to gauge reception of Beijing’s proposed outlook on peace and development for the Horn countries. Mooted by China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his January 2022 diplomatic reach to Africa, the initiative aims at fostering peace, security and development among the eight countries in the region.

Xue's visit has unearthed some underlying issues that could be instructive in China’s push for stable and economically prosperous Horn. It has revealed the prevailing opinion and attitude of regional leaders on the role of external development partners. African leaders are disinterested in partnerships based on conditions, ultimatums and coercion.

There is also an overwhelming desire on the side of the Horn countries to weave together a stable, peaceful and economically sustainable region. The envoy’s call for a peace conference for the Horn has been well received, with both Kenya and Ethiopia offering to host the first conference in the coming months.  

Ambassador Xue has set the ball rolling by articulating China’s brand of international relations in which peace and development is centre stage in its cooperation with Africa. By emphasising that China will only send engineers and students to Africa’s troubled hotspots, he is clearly contrasting China’s diplomacy with that of western countries. As a way of offsetting the Horn’s challenges in the short term, the envoy announced emergency food aid to four countries – Eritrea, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Somalia valued at $6.29 million (Sh722 million).

There is no doubt that the task Xue has embarked on is a challenging one. The Horn of Africa is currently experiencing a number of security issues such as terrorism, territorial disputes, as well as ethnic and religious conflicts. These conflicts require complex responses – as their persistence over the years indicates that past strategies have been inadequate.

To succeed in his endeavour, the special envoy must be seen as well as perceived to be impartial and a consensus builder on the key security and development issues currently facing the region. The agreement by leaders of the visited countries for a peace conference is a good place to start.

Secondly, the envoy should promote partnerships that can spur human development as a long-term solution to the ongoing conflicts in the region. China’s philosophy on development as a precondition for lasting peace and security is an important lens to view how development can be a tool to silence the guns in the region.

As a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, China should continue to champion progressive mechanisms, ideas and policies to hoist peace and security in the region. Beijing can achieve this through effective coordination with other UNSC members such as Kenya. The social, political and economic viability of the Horn of Africa promises to restore hope for millions of people who have been uprooted from their homes due to conflict. It can bring to an end the perennial challenge of food insecurity and cure the old wounds of territorial wrangles.

China too stands to gain from a stable Horn of Africa. The region is a major gateway into the rest of the continent; providing entry and exit points for raw materials and industrial products, thereby significantly anchoring trade between China and Africa.

The Horn of Africa is home to the only Chinese overseas military base which is located in Djibouti. The Horn countries should boldly and jointly confront the prevailing challenges through multilateralism. Countries like Kenya should continue shouldering leadership roles towards breaking the double challenge of conflict and underdevelopment for the region.