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Nigerian diplomat replaces Annan
March 2, 2008
EA STANDARD
By Patrick Wachira, Abiya Ochola and David Ohito
Seasoned Nigerian diplomat, Ambassador Oluyemi Adeniji, takes over
as chair of the mediation talks this morning.
He is relieving Dr Kofi Annan who steered the process for a month
leading to last Thursday’s power sharing deal.
Annan will leave for Kampala, Uganda, on Sunday, where he will
chair a board meeting of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in
Africa.
In a dispatch, Annan said he would then head to Geneva to attend
to "much unfinished business".
Despite his absence Annan said he would be following the talks
keenly.
Annan’s co-mediator, former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa
returned home yesterday. Also back in South Africa is Mrs Graca
Machel, another member of the mediation team, who left last week.
It was however not indicated how long Annan and Mkapa would be
away as Adeniji starts chairing the meeting tomorrow morning at
the Serena Hotel.
Mkapa praised President Kibaki and Mr Raila Odinga for portraying
statesmanship and expressed optimism that the accord was
watertight.
"I hope I will not come back under similar circumstances. I pray
that Kenyans live together in peace like brothers and sisters," he
said enroute to the airport.
Annan leaves the country with his head high after bringing
President Kibaki and Raila together to sign a power-sharing deal.
Annan, on Saturday, briefed Raila, African Union and European
Union ambassadors at Serena Hotel on the progress of the talks.
He also met members of the Kenya Private Sector Alliance and the
civil society.
He called upon the diplomatic community to remain engaged in the
process, saying the mediation had reached a critical stage.
The AU delegation, led by Mozambique ambassador Mr Marcus
Namashulia, said the ball was in the court of every Kenyan to
ensure the accord was fruitful.
The 17-member EU delegation, led by French Ambassador, Ms
Elisabeth Barbier, said the international community will ensure
that the spirit of the National Accord and Reconciliation Act is
fully implemented.
Swedish Ambassador, Ms Anna Brandt, said the international
community will continue to exert pressure on the leaders.
Mr Walter Lindner, German ambassador, challenged Parliament to
show the requisite flexibility for the smooth implementation of
the accord.
A career diplomat
Adeniji, who was once involved in peace negotiations in Sudan and
Central African Republic, will lead the teams through agenda four
— long-term solutions.
On the agenda Friday will be the composition, terms of reference
and timeframe of key committees to spearhead legal, judicial,
institutional, land and constitutional reforms necessary for the
functioning of the grand coalition.
To be formed before March 15 are: The Truth, Justice and
Reconciliation Committee to lead the restitution process;
Independent Review committee to look into last year’s
controversial election and the local and international experts
group on constitutional review.
His career as a diplomat spans almost five decades and he is at
the moment the Internal Affairs Minister for Nigeria.
The diplomat joined Nigeria’s Ministry of External Affairs in July
1960 and served in the country’s embassies in Khartoum, Washington
DC and Nigeria’s High Commission in Freetown, Sierra Leone and
Accra, Ghana.
He has served as Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United
Nations office in Geneva in 1977 and was ambassador in Switzerland.
Earlier, he was ambassador to the Republic of Austria in 1976 and
Permanent Secretary to the International Atomic Energy Agency in
Vienna.
Adeniji, commonly referred to as "Chief" back home, also served as
ambassador to France in 1987. He served in Paris until 1991 when
he took over as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs in Abuja.
He retired from the foreign service in 1994 and went ahead to
serve as Special Envoy to the UN Secretary-General and Head of the
UN Peace keeping Mission in the Central African Republic in 1998.
He took over a similar role the following year and was
subsequently involved in peace talks between warring groups in the
Sierra Leone. The talks culminated in the signing of the Lome
Peace Agreement.
Adeniji played a significant part in the endeavour to reform the
UN Security Council, the body’s top and most powerful organ.
He is a History graduate of the University College of Ibadan and a
holder of a national medal, Commander of Order of the Niger.
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