The Association of Kenya-Ethiopia Friends (AKEF) met on Wednesday with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Ambassador General Bacha Debele.
The Ambassador told the Chairman of the Association, H.W. Joe Akech, that the Embassy is committed to working closely with the AKEF in supporting the peace and development projects between Ethiopia and Kenya. He also expressed the gratitude of the Government of Ethiopia to the Chairman for the efforts the Association puts into further enhancing the strong people-to-people relations between the two sisterly countries.
In his briefing to members of the Association, the Ambassador noted that the Government of Ethiopia is committed to the peace efforts under the auspices of the African Union through the Pan-African principle of “African Solutions for African Problems”. He further added that the TPLF is not committed to peace and has forcefully been conscripting the region’s youth to advance its political objectives. The Ambassador said, the TPLF has mobilized the population in the Tigray region and threatened all who oppose forced conscription with severe consequences.
The Chairman, on his part, emphasized the need for working hand in hand to promote peace and development in the region. He said peace and diversity are the most important aspects of society that we need to jointly champion. The patron and chairman of the Advisory Board of the AKEF, Professor Nathan Kahara, underscored the fact that the parties must solve their disagreements through negotiations that could save lives and bring shared sustainable development and stability not just to Ethiopia but also to the Horn of Africa at large.
The Association of Kenya-Ethiopia Friends (AKEF, for short) is a friendship association established in 2020 to promote peace, friendship, and development between Ethiopia and Kenya.