- Raila Odinga is with President William Ruto, who is attending the 9th China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit in Beijing, China
- The former prime minister of Kenya, Raila will meet with heads of African countries apart from the meeting
- Raila is seeking support for his chairmanship of the African Union Commission (AUC), which will be voted on in early 2025
- The former Prime Minister of Kenya, Raila Odinga, is expected to use his current friendship with President William Ruto in China to support his bid for the chairmanship of the African Union Commission (AUC).
Raila is one of Ruto's delegates attending the 9th Meeting of the China-Africa Cooperation Council (FOCAC) in Beijing.
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The meeting will bring together the heads of African countries, the leaders of China and the African Union Commission to discuss and strengthen relationship between China and Africa.
Foreign Affairs Chief Secretary Korir Sing'oei said Raila will try to use the sidelines of the summit on September 5, when he will meet African heads of state in attendance, perhaps to inform them of his ambition and vision for the continent.
“We have more than 30 heads of state from Africa and 40 Foreign Ministers in China as we speak… While in China, Raila will try to understand the areas of possible cooperation and make contact with the key players in charge of the AU. China's cooperation is an important part of the work of the AUC chairman.
He is not in China to lobby but he will accompany the president to the national banquet organized by President Xi for African leaders tomorrow evening. He will also attend the opening ceremony of the FOCAC Conference on September 5. He is expected to meet with African heads of state selected by the president,” said Sing'oei.
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Which African presidents support Raila?
Apart from Kenya, other countries whose leaders have announced their support for Raila are the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Tanzania, Uganda, Somalia, South AfricaRwanda, Nigeria, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Burundi, Seychelles, Ghana, South Sudan, Guinea Bissau, Angola, Algeria, and Congo.
He recently announced that he would leave local politics to focus on the bid.
The veteran politician will face Djbouti's Foreign Minister, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, Madagascar's former Foreign Minister, Richard Randriamandrato, and Mauritius' Anil Gayan.
While in the AUC, if elected, Raila would adhere to the ethical principles of the chairmanship, where the holder of that office should take a back seat in the politics of their country and, at the same time, be neutral in African social and political positions.
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Source: TUKO.co.ke