Event Summary:
Sunday, July 26th, 2015 President of the United States Barack Obama landed at Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa from Nairobi Kenya for a two-day visit.
Obama’s main agenda in Ethiopia is to address the African Union as well as have talks with ten East African region leaders about the crisis in South Sudan. It is to be noted that President Obama will be the first US president to address the 54-member AU bloc.
Analysis:
President Obama arrived in Ethiopia on Sunday evening from Kenya where he co-hosted the Global Entrepreneurship Summit and held bilateral talks with the present government. He is in Ethiopia to attend the AU meeting as well as hold talks with the regional leaders about the current crisis in South Sudan.
In Obama’s agenda is the fight against terrorist and violent extremism. He announced an addition USD 40million to aid in countering violent extremisms on top of the proposed USD465 million for training, equipment, capacity building and violent extremism countering initiatives in Africa.
During Obama’s visit to Africa has laid particular emphasis on human rights, terrorism and corruption in the countries. Ethiopia held her elections recently where the ruling party clinched all the 546 seats in parliament raising issues of the use of authoritarian strategies to guarantee power.
South Sudan Crisis:
President Obama is expected to hold talks with leaders from Uganda, Sudan, Kenya and Ethiopia on a way to build a solution to the 19-month civil war in South Sudan.
Among the measures to be discussed are tough embargoes and sanctions on the world’s youngest state to motivate the end of the war that has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions.
The meeting will come up with ‘final best offer’ to the two warring leaders; President Salva Kiir and Riek Machar the rebel leader giving them an ultimatum to end the war. The two South Sudan leaders have been deemed us totally insensitive of the plight of the people.
Summary:
The US is specifically keen to end the war in South Sudan as it played a very fundamental in creating and establishing the young nation.
Obama has reestablished the United States’ commitment to global and war against terrorism but more especially in the East Africa region which is the home of Al Qaeda affiliates Harakat Al Shabaab al Mujahideen.
From the messages passed across by both President Uhuru Kenyatta and Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn of Kenya and Ethiopia respectively are the efforts of improving good governance, human rights and obligation to democracy.
