By FRED OLUOCH
Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed has
offered herself for the position of African Union Commission Chair in
the January elections in a race, a race influenced more by geopolitics
than the credentials of the candidates.
Despite Kenya being upbeat that Ms Mohammed, who has been
endorsed by East Africa Community and Common Market for East and
Southern Africa (Comesa) will carry the day, President Uhuru Kenyatta
last week acknowledged that nothing was certain.
“Somalia and Egypt have publicly said they will vote for Kenya,
but in the complex AU voting system most countries are likely to take
their cue from their regional groupings such as the EAC, the Southern
African Development Community (SADC), or Economic Community of West
African States (Ecowas),” said a statement from State House after
President Kenyatta’s return from Morocco, where he attended the COP22
climate conference.
While there, President Kenyatta met 30 leaders including
Nigeria, Gabon, Rwanda, Seychelles, the Comoros, Sudan, Senegal and Chad
to drum up support for Ms Mohamed adding to the diplomatic forays that
have already seen his deputy William Ruto and special envoys criss-cross
the continent for votes.
The intense lobbying the Kenya government has instituted is an
indication that the country is ready to pull out all the stops to put Ms
Mohamed at the helm of the continental body.
The EAC Council of Ministers, led by chairperson Dr Augustine
Mahiga, also resolved to collectively campaign and lobby other African
countries in support of Ms Mohammed’s bid.
However, the AU Commission is a different ball game with the
five regions pushing for their interests. Kenya must prove that it is
capable of uniting the majority of 55 partner states behind Ms Mohamed’s
candidature.
Trade law
Apart from her legal background that makes her understand
international agreements and the continent’s engagement with the rest of
the world, Ms Mohamed is an experienced diplomat with impressive
credentials, having been the first woman chair the World Trade
Organisation General Council in 2005.
Ms Mohamed worked as Kenya’s permanent representative to the UN
in Geneva for seven years and rose to become the lead negotiator for the
77 Group (a coalition of developing countries at the WTO advocating
their integration into the global economy, and the eradication of
poverty worldwide) and the African Group.
“She is a fine diplomat with years of experience. Her legal
background, having studied international trade law, helps her understand
international agreements very well,” said Moses Wetang’ula, the Bungoma
Senator who worked with Ms Mohamed for many years at the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs.
With five EAC partner states, Ms Mohammed — who had earlier been
mentioned in Kenya as a possible candidate for the post of the UN
Secretary General— has passed one major hurdle.
She has to address herself to Vision 2063 aimed at transforming
Africa’s socio economics in the next 50 years, which is the rekindle
pan-Africanism, self-reliance in financing its programmes and
continental economic integration
But Kenya has also stepped on many toes while trying to lobby African countries to withdraw from the Rome Statute.
But Kenya has also stepped on many toes while trying to lobby African countries to withdraw from the Rome Statute.
Ms Mohamed, in particular, has been instrumental in lobbying
African states at the Assembly of State Parties when both President
Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto were facing charges at the
International Criminal Court.
Credentials
This did not go down well with countries supportive of the ICC
such as Botswana, Senegal, Nigeria and the Cote d'Ivoire. She also has
to win the confidence of the so-called Big Five—South Africa, Nigeria,
Algeria, Egypt and Libya — who provide the bulk of the AU funding.
While South Africa is with the SADC which solidly behind the
Botswana Foreign Minister Dr Pelonomi Venson-Moito, it would be
difficult for Nigeria to go against Ecowas that is also united behind
Prof Abdoulaye Bathily of Senegal.
Diplomatic sources from Addis Ababa told The EastAfrican
that the 55-year old Ms Mohamed can only win if she gets the support of
the Francophone countries that are normally very influential during the
AU elections. Ms Mohamed is also a former assistant secretary-general
and deputy executive director at the United Nations Environmental
Programme.
While nominating Ms Mohamed in early October, President Kenyatta
gave her credentials as the first woman to have chaired the three most
important bodies of WTO; the Trade Policy Body, the Dispute Settlement
Body and the Governing General Council.
“Given her track record, I am confident that Ms Mohamed will
serve our continent with the requisite professionalism, intellect,
skill, integrity, passion and commitment. I have no doubt that her
international experience and exposure will be an invaluable asset in
driving the African Commission to the achievement of Africa’s immense
potential,” President Kenyatta wrote in the nomination letter.
Born in 1961, Ms Mohamed graduated with an LLM in International
Law from Kiev State University, Ukraine and also attained a Postgraduate
Diploma in International Relations from the University of Oxford. She
is fluent in English, Russian, and Swahili in addition to having a
working knowledge of French.
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