Chinese investments in economic and social programmes have driven modernization efforts in the Horn of Africa, where conflicts and climate shocks have hindered the development efforts of regional countries, experts said Thursday at a forum in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital. Convened by the Chinese Embassy in Kenya and the Africa Policy Institute, a Nairobi-based Pan-African policy think tank, the third Seminar on the Outlook on Peace and Development in the Horn of Africa was attended by senior policymakers, diplomats, scholars, and industry executives. The half-day event ran under the theme of China-Africa Modernization and the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) Economic Belt, underscoring the significance of Chinese-funded infrastructure projects in the greater Horn of Africa region. Xue Bing, the special envoy for Horn of Africa Affairs at China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Beijing has rallied behind multilateral initiatives to achieve long-term development, peace, and stability in the region. According to Xue, the Outlook for Peace and Development initiative for the Horn of Africa, proposed by China in 2022, has injected vitality into efforts to address the triple challenges of security, underdevelopment, and governance in the region. Peter Kagwanja, chief executive of the Africa Policy Institute, said that conflict resolution must be at the heart of efforts to rebuild economies in the Horn of Africa region, devastated by decades of strife and natural disasters. Development and peace in the Horn of Africa region are inseparable, Kagwanja said, adding that China's pursuit of peaceful development offers a template for African countries grappling with internal strife to emulate. The completion of the China-funded Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) and the spillover socio-economic benefits present an opportunity to foster peace, integration, and inclusive development in the region, said Kagwanja. Jane Makori, deputy director-general at the Asia and the Pacific Directorate in Kenya's Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, said that China's commitment to the Horn of Africa's peace and development initiatives has been unwavering. Makori credited infrastructure development domiciled within the Belt and Road Initiative for laying the foundation for sustainable peace, development, political stability, and cohesion in the region. Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Guo Haiyan said that the SGR has fostered a seamless flow of people and goods across the region, promoting integration and peaceful development. Chinese-funded modern railway projects and the Outlook for Peace and Development in the Horn of Africa have played complementary roles, ensuring that the region achieves the goal of common prosperity, enhanced cooperation, and lasting stability, she said.
