Third China Horn of Africa Peace Conference Scheduled for Kampala

 Ugdiplomat posted on 19 June 2025 an article titled "Uganda, China Hold Talks Ahead of Horn of Africa Conference."

Uganda's foreign minister met with China's Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa, Xue Bing, to discuss plans for the Third Horn of Africa Peace Conference in Kampala at the end of July.

Comment: The first two China-organized Horn of Africa peace conferences resulted in platitudinous concluding statements but no tangible results.  There is no reason to believe the third conference will be any different.  

UK to Co-host Conference on Sudan

 The Guardian published on 9 April 2025 an article titled "UK to Co-host Global Conference with Aim of Resolving Sudan's Civil War" by Patrick Wintour.

The United Kingdom, together with Germany and France, is co-hosting in London on 15 April the foreign ministers of nearly 20 countries and organizations in an attempt to establish a group that can drive the warring factions in Sudan, the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), closer towards peace.  The SAF and RSF have not been invited to the London conference.  There is no mention of participation by the United States.  

Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam Not on Agenda of China's Regional Peace Conference

 Al-Monitor published on 2 July 2022 an article titled "Nile Dispute Absent from First Peace Conference Led by China to Settle Conflicts in Horn of Africa" by Mohamed Saied.

The article notes that the dispute among Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam was not on the agenda of China's Horn of Africa peace conference in Addis Ababa held in June.

Comment:  While this is true, it does not appear that Chinese mediation on any of the disputes in the Horn of Africa was on the agenda.  China's response is African solutions for African problems.  In other words, let the status quo prevail.  There is no obvious change to China's approach to dispute resolution in the region.  

China-sponsored Horn of Africa Peace Conference Ends: To What Purpose?

 Agence France Presse published on 22 June 2022 an article titled "China Wants Bigger Role in Horn of Africa Security--Envoy."

China announced with considerable hype its hosting of a two-day Horn of Africa peace conference in Addis Ababa on June 20 and 21.  During the conference, China's special envoy for the Horn of Africa, Xue Bing, said that China is willing to act as a mediator to resolve regional disputes.  At the conclusion of the conference, he acknowledged that conference discussions "did not touch upon the mediation efforts and nobody raised this issue."

Comment:  So what was the purpose of this conference?

China Sponsors Horn of Africa Peace Conference: Engineers Not Weapons?

 China is convening a Horn of Africa peace conference in Addis Ababa on June 20-21.  In an earlier article titled "Xue Bing: Beijing Will Send Engineers, Not Weapons, to Horn of Africa" by Aggrey Mutambo, The East African interviewed Xue Bing, China's special envoy for the Horn of Africa. 

In the interview, Xue Bing said in connection with Beijing's peace initiative "China will send out engineers and students.  We don't send out weapons."

Comment:  There seems to be a disconnect here.  According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute's Arms Transfers Database, China transferred from 2010 through 2021 the following dollar amounts of conventional weapons to countries in the Horn of Africa:  Sudan $254 million, Ethiopia $81 million, Kenya $40 million, Djibouti $37 million, South Sudan $12 million, and Somalia $2 million.  These figures do not include transfers of small arms and light weapons.  

China Sponsors Horn of Africa Peace Conference

 The South China Morning Post published on 6 June 2022 an article titled "June Date Set for China-sponsored Horn of Africa Peace Conference" by Jevans Nyabiage.

Ethiopia and Kenya will co-host a China-sponsored Horn of Africa peace conference in Addis Ababa on June 20-21.

Will China Successfully Mediate Conflicts in the Horn of Africa?

 The East African published on 21 March 2022 an article titled "China's Version of Mediation for the Horn of Africa" by Aggrey Mutambo.  

The article looks at the visit to countries in East Africa and the Horn by Xue Bing, China's recently appointed special envoy for the Horn of Africa.  China's approach to solving the conflicts in the region is a regional peace conference and an emphasis on economic development.

Comment:  While these are perfectly good initiatives, history demonstrates that dialogue and development alone will not bring an end to the numerous conflicts, most of which have deep roots.