CAIRO — China has recently announced the appointment of a special envoy to the Horn of Africa. “To share political consensus and to coordinate actions, China will appoint a special envoy of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the Horn of Africa,” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said at a press conference in Mombasa Jan. 6. 

Wang’s announcement came during an African tour that included Kenya, which is deploying diplomatic efforts to halt the war in Ethiopia, Eritrea, which played a clear and open role in supporting the Ethiopian government in the Tigray war, and Comoros.

China has recently emerged as a key player in the region, after expressing support for the completion of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). This was evident in the speech of the permanent representative of China to the United Nations, Zhang Jun, during the UN Security Council extraordinary session on July 8, 2021, who said that through joint efforts, the dam can be completed in a way that enhances mutual trust. 

Zhang’s speech shattered the hopes of Egypt of trying to win over China in supporting its position at the Security Council against Ethiopia’s unilateral actions.