"We must prepare for a multi-polar world in which many countries of the Global South will become extremely important," said Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz shortly after his arrival in East Africa. During his three-day visit to Ethiopia and Kenya, his first official trip to the region and his second to Africa, he met with representatives from politics, business, civil society, and culture. On Friday he met William Ruto, the President if Kenya in Nairobi.

Kenya: the most important partner in East Africa

The friendship between Germany and Kenya goes back many years: Germany was the first country to recognise the republic following its independence in 1963 and it was in this spirit that Federal Chancellor Scholz had welcomed the President of Kenya in Berlin just six weeks ago.

This was also a symbol of the decades-long positive and friendly cooperation between the two countries: as the Federal Chancellor put it, both countries "have worked to develop their bilateral relationship, to cooperate in multilateral forums, and, most importantly, to advance the friendship between our two peoples and societies." Both partners stressed that to provide a strategic framework for the existing partnership was therefore the right thing to do now . The issues discussed were correspondingly far reaching and covered everything from combating climate change and Kenya's role in security policy to economic cooperation and the immigration of skilled workers.

"An inspiring climate champion"

The Federal Chancellor was particularly gratified to hear that Ruto was planning to join the International Climate Club, a German G7 initiative aimed at pushing ahead with the ambitious and rapid implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement. Scholz highlighted the fact that Kenya is already playing a leading role in climate protection and was impressed to learn that more than 90 percent of electricity in Kenya is already being produced using renewable energy sources and that the plan is to increase this to 100 percent by 2030. He pointed out that this raised Kenya’s profile throughout Africa and beyond.

Germany is also supporting this development: last year, for example, Germany and Kenya entered into a climate and development partnership to extend their collaboration in renewable energy sources, hydrogen, and drought resilience in the agricultural sector. The Federal Chancellor took the opportunity to pledge further funding and technical support for Kenya when it hosts the African Climate Change Summit, as well as for the geothermal power plant in Olkaria.

A visit to the Olkaria geothermal power plant

The Federal Chancellor rounded off his trip on Saturday with a visit to a geothermal power plant on the shores of Lake Naivasha, the largest in Africa. Germany's total support for the power plant amounts to 215 million euros following the Federal Chancellor's pledge of another 45 million euros for the expansion of the plant's capacities.

During his visit to the Olkaria power plant, Scholz noted the potential for producing hydrogen and green fertiliser in addition to electricity, which, he said, was important in terms of local economic development and would also have a positive impact on the country's carbon footprint. "Geothermal energy also plays a role for us in Germany," he said: as the recent inauguration of a plant in Schwerin has shown, this technology can be put to good use.

"A stabilising force in an extremely volatile region"

Scholz and Ruto also agreed on how regional and global conflicts should be dealt with. At the same time, Scholz said that he was also convinced of the importance of initiatives aimed at bringing about peace and stability in Africa, which are led by the African states themselves, which, he said, was why Germany greatly appreciates the mediation efforts initiated by Kenya. Among other things, the Federal Chancellor emphasised Kenya's recent involvement in the Sudan conflict, where a transition to a civilian government was imperative. These efforts, he said, represented an indispensable humanitarian service that Germany is happy to support.

Cooperation on the economy and immigration of skilled workers

The discussions also touched upon economic cooperation and the immigration of skilled labour and Scholz referred to the close ties between companies in both countries. He said that he welcomed Kenya's willingness to join the Compact with Africa, a G20 initiative launched under the auspices of the German presidency, the aim of which is to boost private investment.

The potential for skilled labour migration in many economic sectors, he said, was equally great, a point also emphasised by the Kenyan President. The Federal Chancellor said that this was why Germany wanted to create more legal immigration opportunities for people wishing to work in Germany.

The African Union: a partnership between equals

Back on Thursday, Federal Chancellor Scholz had already met with Moussa Faki Mahamat, the President of the African Union Commission, in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa. Scholz alluded to the potential of an African Union (AU) seat in the G20 "in the not too distant future", which he said was: "dictated by respect for the continent and the many states within it as well as for its increasing population."

The focus of the discussion was on the various conflicts within Africa, in particular the current conflict in Sudan and Scholz emphasised the AU’s central role in bringing about a peaceful resolution to the conflict whilst promising German support for this. In this context, he referred to Germany's current efforts in other conflicts in areas such as Libya and the Sahel region.

Ultimately, he said, his aim was to initiate "a new departure in the North-South relationship", which, he said, would mean reassessing African countries and establishing equitable partnerships. The Russian offensive in Ukraine and its ramifications for the entire world, he explained, had highlighted the importance of international cooperation, which was why Germany would contribute to ensuring food security in Africa and would use its influence in the United Nations to do so, which would include ending Africa’s dependence on imported fertilisers.

German commitments in Africa

The Federal Government intends to increase its foreign, defence, and development policy commitments in various African regions. Federal Chancellor Scholz had already visited the three West and South African states of Senegal, Niger, and South Africa during a trip lasting several days in May 2022. The primary focus of this trip had been on strengthening economic relations, increasing security policy support, and development cooperation.

Germany will also be taking a more active role in the Sahel region, which is increasingly being affected by the effects of climate change, resource scarcity, rapid population growth, and armed conflicts. Among other things, this will include the final extension of the Federal Armed Forces' Minusma operation in Mali, the intensification of civilian support for the region (through such measures as the Sahel-Plus Initiative), and increased engagement in the security sector in countries such as Niger, Mauritania, and the Gulf of Guinea states.

Ethiopia: talks about the continuation of the peace process

The Federal Chancellor also met Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, the head of the interim administration of the Tigray Province, Gatchew Reda, and Ethiopian President Sahle-Work in Ethiopia where the discussions centred on continuing the peace process in the country.

The fact that it had proved possible to de-escalate the war was a good thing, Scholz said but added that: "There is still a long way to go before orderly conditions are restored." He said that this was why the process of coming to terms with past crimes had to be continued and cooperation between the various ethnic groups within Ethiopia had to be promoted further.

The warring parties in the Tigray region only agreed on a ceasefire in November 2022 following many years of conflict resulting in numerous deaths and serious human rights violations. Another important topic of discussion was the situation in Sudan.