African Leaders Congratulate Starmer on His Election as UK Prime Minister
The presidents of Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa, Somalia and Zambia congratulated Keir Starmer, the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, on his overwhelming electoral victory on Saturday.
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“President Cyril Ramaphosa has congratulated Sir Keir Starmer on his appointment to the position of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland,” reads a South African’s government statement.
Ramaphosa says he looks forward to working with Starmer to “enhance the strong, historic relations between South Africa and the UK.”
The communiqué reiterates Ramaphosa’s willingness “to further strengthen the bilateral relations between the two countries and to address current global political and security challenges.”
On the other hand, the Kenyan president William Ruto said that, on behalf of his Government and “of the Kenyan people”, he conveyed to the newly appointed British Prime Minister his “most sincere congratulations”.
Ruto said that Starmer’s election was “a testament to the deep yearning of the citizens of the United Kingdom for progressive politics and policies championed by the Labour Party.”
“I stand ready to work with Prime Minister Starmer to foster our bilateral commercial, defence, and political cooperation, while contributing together towards building a safer, equitable, and sustainable global future,” the Kenyan president said.
The presidents of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, and Zambia, Hakainde Hichilema, and the prime minister of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed, also issued similar messages in X.