Speaking on the sidelines of the COP22 conference in Morocco, the Head of State indicated that Mohamed’s experience will allow her to build Africa’s voice in multilateral trade negotiations and agreements/PSCU
NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 17 – President Uhuru Kenyatta says Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed is best suited for the post of Chairperson of the African Union Commission due to her experience in dealing with global issues.
Speaking on the sidelines of the COP22 conference in Morocco, the Head of State indicated that Mohamed’s experience will allow her to build Africa’s voice in multilateral trade negotiations and agreements.
President Kenyatta stated that her intimate knowledge of the International Criminal Court as an institution and a process will also allow Africa to be treated with more respect and understanding.
“As Foreign Minister of a pivotal East Africa and Horn of Africa nation, she will hit the ground running on the most pressing peace and security issues on the continent: terrorism; civil wars; post election conflict and stabilization,” he stated.
He added that as a former Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, she will be a steady guide for Africa as climate change agreements and actions are undertaken.
Candidates from Equatorial Guinea, Chad, Senegal and Botswana will also seek the chairperson’s post when elections are held at the next AU Summit in January.
President Kenyatta was speaking as he met some 30 leaders on the margins of the COP22, the global climate change summit held in the Mediterranean city of Marrakech, Morocco.
Among the leaders were those from Nigeria, Gabon, Rwanda, Seychelles, the Comoros, Sudan, Senegal and Chad.
President Kenyatta was due to depart from Menara International Airport Marrakech early on Thursday for the 11-hour journey back home.
Special envoys of President Kenyatta, including Deputy President William Ruto, have reached out directly to more than 35 countries on his quest to build a consensus around the candidature of Mohamed.
Somalia and Egypt have publicly said they will vote for Kenya, but in the complex AU voting system most countries are likely to take their cue from their regional groupings, such as the EAC, Southern Africa’s SADC, or West Africa’s ECOWAS.
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