Uhuru Blinken
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta on Saturday held a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
In a statement, State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said the conversation was centered around the escalating conflict in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Miller noted that the two leaders discussed the importance of the Nairobi process and providing a pathway to reconciliation with armed groups.
Blinken and Uhuru also discussed the increasing tension between DRC and Rwanda. The US official mentioned that Uhuru and other regional leaders were playing a valuable role in assisting DRC and Rwanda in implementing the confidence-building measures.
“The Secretary emphasized the valuable role of regional leaders in assisting the DRC and Rwanda in implementing the confidence-building measures and other commitments made in their discussions with Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines and other senior U.S. officials,” read the statement in part.
Uhuru has been leading the peacekeeping efforts in his capacity as DRC’s East Africa Facilitator and Kenya’s Peace Envoy to the Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes region.
He was appointed as the EAC facilitator in July 2022 during the 22nd Ordinary Summit of the EAC Heads of State.
His responsibilities include sustaining a high-level political dialogue among Congolese and expeditiously facilitating the talks, providing political leadership to military interventions, ensuring that the inter-Congolese dialogue is as inclusive as possible, and engaging with all key regional and international partners to ensure sustained political, diplomatic, and financial support for the Nairobi Process.
Regional leaders, notably President William Ruto, have praised the former Head of State for his efforts to restore peace in DRC and Ethiopia.
Also Read:Inside President William Ruto’s Bilateral Talks With US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday
