Asmara, 28 February 2025 – President Isaias Afwerki met and held extensive discussions, yesterday evening at the Denden Guest House, with H.E. Bankole Adeoye, AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, on continental challenges and particularly on recent developments and trends in the Horn of Africa.
President Isaias referred to the deplorable practices and propensity of extraneous forces to portray Africa as the “poster child of civil wars” essentially in order to rationalize their insidious acts to meddle in and manage these conflicts. Unfortunately, the AU has so far failed to take remedial measures to rectify these practices. The primary focus should be to prevent the eruption of conflicts instead of funneling time and energy on “managing” wars and crises, President Isaias emphasized.
The AU’s structural weaknesses coupled with external intervention are hampering the continental organization from fulfilling the aspirations and expectations of the African peoples. Sadly, the AU has lost the capacity and wherewithal to say “No” and reject the complicating agendas certain countries continue to flaunt to advance their perceived interests.
President Isaias underlined that in Eritrea’s perspectives, development plans that are charted out are closely intertwined with the promotion and crystallization of peace and security in the wider Horn of Africa, Nile Basin, Red Sea and Gulf Regions.
On the Sudan, Eritrea’s firm and pronounced position has been and remains for the tragic conflict to be resolved by the Sudanese people themselves. Yet, external forces continue to compound and exacerbate the conflict thereby hampering the stability of the region.
Eritrea strongly believes in a strong Somalia that occupies its rightful place in the region. In this respect, Eritrea continues to make its modest contributions in bolstering the Somali National Army and related institutions.
The meeting was attended by Mr. Osman Saleh, Minister of Foreign Affairs.
In a brief statement to the Eritrean News Agency, Commissioner Adeoye stated that discussions he conducted with President Isaias Afwerki on developments in the Horn of Africa, and especially on the prevailing situations in the Sudan and Somalia, were both profound and insightful.