Addis Ababa — Former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta was honored yesterday for his instrumental role in helping to resolve the conflict in Northern Ethiopia. The Ethiopian government organized a recognition ceremony in Addis Ababa, where Kenyatta received a prestigious award for his contributions to peace in the region.
The event, themed “Enough with war, let’s sustain peace,” took place at Friendship Square in the Ethiopian capital. In his address, Kenyatta praised the Ethiopian people for their determination to achieve lasting peace in the Tigray region. He emphasized that the newfound peace demonstrates Africa’s ability to solve its own problems. “The commitment shown and the leadership of the African Union has indeed proved that Africa can work out her problems, and what has happened in Ethiopia is a testimony that Africa can work out its problems,” said Kenyatta.
Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo and former South African Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka were also recognized for their contributions to peace efforts. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali and Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) interim President Getachew Reda attended the ceremony, along with other government and Tigray officials.
In addition to his work in Ethiopia, Kenyatta has also been involved in the peace process in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as the East Africa Community (EAC) facilitator. Following recent violence in North Kivu, he called for a ceasefire and strict adherence to the Luanda Agreements, which outline cooperation and normalization of relations between the DRC and Uganda. The statement from Kenyatta’s office expressed “serious concern for the targeted killings of civilians by armed groups” in the region.