Obama to ‘Snub’ African Union During East Africa Safari
by Zimbabwe Sunday Mail Reporter
Jul 5, 2015
The African Union’s political leadership is not scheduled to meet United States president Barack Obama when he visits Ethiopia and Kenya later this month as his engagements with the two countries are of a bilateral nature.
Last week, some private media reports claimed Mr Obama would see the AU Secretariat but would snub President Mugabe.
AU and Sadc Chair President Mugabe and his five deputies constitute the AU political leadership.
However, experts in the know who spoke to The Sunday Mail last week said Mr Obama’s visit to Ethiopia was purely bilateral, as was his stopover in Kenya.
Foreign Affairs Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi and ministry Permanent Secretary Ambassador Joey Bimha were unreachable for comment.
However, a well-placed expert said: “These are completely misinformed reports that seem to be targeted at creating the wrong impression among readers. Obama will be visiting Ethiopia to engage the government of Ethiopia at a bilateral level.
“The same applies with his visit to Kenya. It is clear from this that the visit does not relate to the AU, but, instead, to the governments of these two countries. In any event, we know for a fact that there are no firm arrangements yet for him to meet the AU secretariat.”
Mr Adam Bakili, an international relations consultant, added that Mr Obama’s visits to Ethiopia and Kenya should be read against Washington’s foreign policy interests.
Both countries are strategic to the Americans given the surge in the Al-Queda-linked Al-Shabaab group’s activities in the Horn of Africa.
Mr Bakili said no American president had ever met an AU Chair individually in Africa.
“If he wanted to see President Mugabe, it would not be protocol for him to summon the President to Addis Ababa. If he wished to see President Mugabe in that capacity of the continental grouping’s head, he would have visited Zimbabwe, and this is what other leaders who want to see the AU Chair have done.
“It so happens, by coincidence, that Addis Ababa hosts the African Union. His visit to Addis Ababa is bilateral. Ethiopia is important to America’s foreign interests, particularly in the fight against terrorism in the Horn of Africa. The same applies to Kenya.”
Jul 5, 2015
The African Union’s political leadership is not scheduled to meet United States president Barack Obama when he visits Ethiopia and Kenya later this month as his engagements with the two countries are of a bilateral nature.
Last week, some private media reports claimed Mr Obama would see the AU Secretariat but would snub President Mugabe.
AU and Sadc Chair President Mugabe and his five deputies constitute the AU political leadership.
However, experts in the know who spoke to The Sunday Mail last week said Mr Obama’s visit to Ethiopia was purely bilateral, as was his stopover in Kenya.
Foreign Affairs Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi and ministry Permanent Secretary Ambassador Joey Bimha were unreachable for comment.
However, a well-placed expert said: “These are completely misinformed reports that seem to be targeted at creating the wrong impression among readers. Obama will be visiting Ethiopia to engage the government of Ethiopia at a bilateral level.
“The same applies with his visit to Kenya. It is clear from this that the visit does not relate to the AU, but, instead, to the governments of these two countries. In any event, we know for a fact that there are no firm arrangements yet for him to meet the AU secretariat.”
Mr Adam Bakili, an international relations consultant, added that Mr Obama’s visits to Ethiopia and Kenya should be read against Washington’s foreign policy interests.
Both countries are strategic to the Americans given the surge in the Al-Queda-linked Al-Shabaab group’s activities in the Horn of Africa.
Mr Bakili said no American president had ever met an AU Chair individually in Africa.
“If he wanted to see President Mugabe, it would not be protocol for him to summon the President to Addis Ababa. If he wished to see President Mugabe in that capacity of the continental grouping’s head, he would have visited Zimbabwe, and this is what other leaders who want to see the AU Chair have done.
“It so happens, by coincidence, that Addis Ababa hosts the African Union. His visit to Addis Ababa is bilateral. Ethiopia is important to America’s foreign interests, particularly in the fight against terrorism in the Horn of Africa. The same applies to Kenya.”
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