German Minister’s Trip to Kenya Suffers Setback Over Eritrea Govt’s Air Rights
Annalena Baerbock, the Foreign Minister of Germany, had originally planned a three-day journey across Africa, including Kenya. However, due to complications in reaching Djibouti, her plane was redirected to Saudi Arabia.
Upon arriving in the Middle East last Wednesday, Baerbock disclosed that her scheduled landing in Djibouti had to be canceled because her government plane did not have the necessary permit to fly over Eritrea.
She additionally mentioned that flying across Sudan or the Red Sea was not possible because of the ongoing conflicts in those areas.
“When things happen that are not planned, you have to be flexible,” the Minister told the press after touching down in the City of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
She anticipated starting her three-day journey in Djibouti, followed by visits to South Sudan and Kenya.
The Minister is scheduled to address the persisting Sudan conflict during the meeting agenda, emphasizing the European Union’s steadfast dedication to safeguarding the Red Sea. The trade pathway has encountered disruptions due to the conflict involving the Yemen Houthis.
According to DW, the pilot disclosed that despite making every possible effort, his team did not obtain permission to fly over Eritrea.
“Despite all our efforts, we unfortunately did not receive our overflight clearance to Eritrea,” the pilot told the press.
Baerbock is expected to Head to Djibouti on Thursday.
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DW stated that the Minister faced several challenges with her aircraft during journeys to the Indo-Pacific Region in August of the previous year and encountered a situation where she was stranded in Doha in May.
In 2022, she had to reschedule a meeting with a British Minister as her plane was unable to depart from Ireland due to an abundance of ice.
She plans to visit Kenya to engage in discussions with President William Ruto regarding his initiatives to resolve the Sudanese conflict involving military leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his paramilitary counterpart General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
“Together with my partners in Djibouti, Kenya, and South Sudan, I will explore possibilities to bring generals Burhan and Hemeti finally to the negotiating table, so that they do not drag the people in Sudan deeper into the abyss and destabilize the region any further,” Baerbock’s earlier statement read in part.
“We must increase the pressure on both sides through sanctions, by holding them accountable for their crimes against the civilian population and by influencing their supporters from abroad.”
German Minister’s Trip to Kenya Suffers Setback Over Eritrea Govt’s Air Rights
