China is proposing to help "silence guns in the corners of Africa." This is an ambitious effort that takes into account multiple conflicts in the region, and Beijing's traditional "-" interference "stance towards more active diplomatic involvement.
Last week, at a peace conference hosted by Chinese authorities in Addis Ababa, Xue Bing, a Chinese envoy in the corner of Africa, made an offer. The Chinese government has historically avoided engaging in foreign conflicts, but some observers see this as evidence that Beijing is trying to rival the United States as an international conflict mediator. Others saw it as a practical move for major investors in the region to keep their profits safe. The
conference itself did not come up with concrete suggestions for resolving some of the ongoing security crises, but the Chinese envoy said Beijing would like to be more involved.
"This is the first time China has played a role in the field of security," said Xue, who was appointed to his position earlier this year, and Beijing "is not just about trade and investment, but peace." And also in the field of development. ”
According to the US Peace Institute, China has about 400 construction and manufacturing projects worth over $ 4 billion in Ethiopia alone. However, since 2020, Ethiopia has been involved in a vicious ethnic conflict as the federal government of Addis Ababa has been fighting rebels in the northern Tigray region.
Peace talks are about to beginbut there is disagreement among the disputed factions about whether to act as an intermediary, the African Union, or Kenya. ..
"As Africa's largest single-country trading partner, China recognizes the economic need for stability in regional anchor countries such as Ethiopia," said an executive at the Pretoria-based Security Institute. Director Fontaacum told VOA.
Many other parts of the region are also at stake. The northern neighbor Eritria was heavily involved in the war in Tigray, and the eastern neighbor Somalia of Ethiopia has been devastated by conflict and Muslim rebellion for decades. To the west, South Sudan has survived a weak peace after years of civil war, but Sudan has recently undergone a military coup. Just this week, Sudanese and Ethiopian troops clashed over a conflicting border area.
So China is cutting out that job for that,it's not the first country to try.David Satterfield, the horn of Africa envoy in Washington, stayed at work for only three months before quitting earlier this year. Jeffrey Feltman, the former envoy of President Joe Byden, lasted less than a year.
The joint statement issued at the end of China's Peace Conference was attended by foreign ministry officials from regional countries, during which time no specific disputes were discussed, but very vague. was. He just said that all parties agreed to "maintain peace and stability."
"Despite the holding of this Peace Forum, I don't think it's clear what they can offer regarding mediation to the federal government and other Ethiopian conflict parties," said the International Crisis Group. William Davison, Senior Ethiopian Analyst at. ..
"It is not clear if we have a political commitment from Beijing, an understanding of political complexity, or the diplomatic ability to actually participate in negotiations," he told VOA.
"Addis is concerned about so-called Western intervention and the US's imposition of its agenda on the Ethiopian civil war," said Davison. "Therefore, it is not surprising that Ethiopia prefers a much less interfering Chinese approach in the context of peace negotiations."
Independent Kenya international relations analyst Adhere Cavince agrees. He said that some of the Western interventions in the Ethiopian conflict were "not very kindly accepted."
"The United States responded with sanctions, conditions, threats ... this is completely different from what the Chinese say," he told VOA, China's focus on development rather than human rights. Mentioned the fact that they are aligned. concern.
The Communist Party of China has always argued that development requires stability and that the Horn region is an important part of its global infrastructure project, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
China funded Kenya's railroads and highways and built the African Union Headquartered in Addis Ababa, inland railroads from Ethiopia to Dibuchi I built it. The first overseas military base is also set up here. We aim to protect not only this strategic foundation, but also the transportation lanes and our people working in the area.
"From an economic point of view, the stability of this region helps to move deeper in eastern Africa, where China is the center. Points of BRI in Africa "Chinese Jelloney Mabyamung, an analyst at the China Global South Project, said.
Whether it can be done by providing economic integration and development projects is another matter, Nima Byamung said.
"Conflicts in this region are not only economically rooted, but also socially and culturally rooted ... and this is one of the areas where China lacks experience." He told VOA.
Still, China seems to want to send a message to Washington. It can also help promote stability abroad. But China's characteristic arbitration may seem quite different when it focuses on economic development rather than human rights and democracy.
China's state-runGlobalTimesnewspaper's recent column on Africa claims it's good and suggests it as well.
"Some western countries like the United States also offer mediation in this region, but China has advantages over them, which is that China contributes to the internal affairs of the country in the region. It doesn't interfere or interfere. ".
However, analysts do not necessarily believe that this will work in favor of China, especially Ethiopia.
Nima Byamung said that the representative was not present at the Peace Conference "its neutrality was not well accepted by the people of Tigray."
Davison said that China has always supported the government at the time, so "other parties, especially leaders in the Tigray region, are unlikely to be interested in China acting as an intermediary. ".
But for Cabins, "The horny nations of Africa are not confrontational, not powerful, and simply based on the fact that they are based on mutual consent. We welcome you. "
"The success of China's mediation activities in Africa is a question that has not yet come and is in the future," he said.