German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is visiting East Africa this week, where he will meet with authorities to address the unrest in Sudan, express his support for Ethiopia’s peace process, and maybe seek green hydrogen collaboration with Kenya.
Scholz will head a business delegation for three days in Ethiopia and Kenya as part of his second official tour to Africa as chancellor. This arises as the West fights for global influence and trade with other countries, particularly China.
According to German government sources, he will meet with Ethiopia’s prime minister and the interim leader of the Tigray region on Thursday to discuss attempts to maintain peace following a two-year war that has killed tens of thousands of people.
He will also meet with African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat to discuss recent developments in Sudan as well as global problems such as climate change and economic cooperation.
He’ll meet with the president of Kenya, the region’s economic powerhouse, on Friday to discuss business.
When asked whether Scholz would remark on the Ukraine situation, officials said he always attempted to represent the West’s position and cope with the global ramifications, such as rising food shortages and oil prices.
Kenya’s attempts to generate green hydrogen are primarily reliant on the continent’s biggest geothermal plant, which Scholz will visit this Saturday near Lake Naivasha in the geologically active Great Rift Valley.
German officials discounted the probability of a rapid agreement on green hydrogen cooperation.
Rather, during the visit, the German development agency GIZ would host a symposium on the subject as part of Germany’s long-standing energy alliance, which generates 90% of its electricity from renewable sources.
“Kenya is a leader on the African continent in climate protection and renewables, and it has enormous convening power,” one official said.
Kenyan officials showed an interest in green hydrogen generation for use in fertilizer production, with the prospect of future exports to Germany if supplies were sufficient.
