This week, Kenya hosted visits by three major dignitaries, a demonstration of its aspirations to be a leading voice for Africa in global affairs. The first visit was from Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. As part of his first trip to Africa since taking office in 2021, Kishida embarked on a tour of four nations—Egypt, Mozambique, Ghana and Kenya—during Japan’s Golden Week, a springtime week with multiple national holidays. And earlier today, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrived in Kenya as part of his four-day trip to East Africa for discussions that centered on green energy, the war in Ukraine and the fighting in Sudan. The flurry of visits in Nairobi this week is the latest indication of a growing recognition by international actors of Africa’s increasing importance in international affairs.

Source: The North Africa Journal May 05, 2023 20:18 UTC