Friday, October 14, 2022

China's Mediation Efforts in Horn of Africa Cause Confusion

 The Africa Center for Strategic Studies published on 12 October 2022 an analysis titled "China's Diplomacy in the Horn--Conflict Mediation as Power Politics" by Paul Nantulya.

China's most recent initiative to "mediate" conflicts in the Horn of Africa, including the appointment of Xue Bing as its special envoy for the region, has triggered intense speculation and confusion.  China's approach of strengthening ruling governments means it is not viewed as an impartial actor--breaking a core rule of mediation.  Its actions so far raise questions about the goals of its initiative.