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China-Africa relations
ChinaDiplomacy

China’s Wang Yi makes detour to praise Kenya after Djibouti claims advantage in quest for UN seat

  • Djibouti last week hinted it had China’s backing to be the next African non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, upsetting Nairobi
  • Visit seen as effort to avoid taking sides in rivalry between two African nations where China has funded major infrastructure projects

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Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh (left) last week suggested he had secured China’s support for the UN vote, after meeting Wang Yi. Photo: Xinhua
Jevans Nyabiage

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has made an unexpected stopover in Kenya as the East African country seeks support for its attempt to become a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, in preference to Djibouti.

Kenya was not on the original itinerary for Wang’s Africa tour, which was scheduled to include Egypt, Djibouti, Eritrea, Burundi and Zimbabwe, as he continued a tradition of Chinese foreign ministers visiting Africa at the start of the year.
But on Friday, Wang flew from Djibouti City to the Kenyan coastal town of Mombasa and held talks with Kenyan Foreign Minister Monica Juma. He also visited the Standard Gauge Railway linking Mombasa with the capital Nairobi, which was funded and built under the Belt and Road Initiative – Beijing’s multibillion-dollar plan to link China with Europe and Africa through investment in infrastructure.

The visit to Kenya followed reports that Beijing would support Djibouti’s push for the non-permanent seat available at the Security Council, a move that caused disquiet in Nairobi.

Three African countries at a time can take non-permanent seats on the Security Council, each requiring the votes of a two-thirds majority in the UN General Assembly. Niger and Tunisia were elected last June to represent the continent in 2020-21, replacing Ivory Coast and Equatorial Guinea. Kenya and Djibouti are vying to replace South Africa next January.

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