Blinken to visit Africa next week on 4-nation tour

By Iclal Turan

WASHINGTON (AA) - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Cabo Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria and Angola next week to highlight the US-Africa partnership, the State Department said Thursday.

"Throughout the trip, the Secretary will highlight how the United States has accelerated the U.S.-Africa partnership since the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, including in areas such as climate, food, and health security," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement.

Blinken will emphasize economic partnership and US investment in the infrastructure in Africa, creating jobs at home and on the continent and helping Africa compete in the global marketplace, he said.

"Additionally, the Secretary will advance security partnerships based on shared values such as respect for human rights, promotion of democracy, and expansion of the rule of law," he added.

"He will reaffirm U.S. commitment to our coastal West African partners through the Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability, U.S. partnership with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to address regional challenges, and U.S. efforts to support African leadership in de-escalating tensions and adopting diplomatic solutions to the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo," said Miller.

Asked if the US is looking to counter China’s influence on the continent, Molly Phee, assistant secretary of state for African affairs, said: “If China didn't exist, we would be fully engaged in Africa."

“Africa is important for its own sake, and it's important for American interests,” she told reporters.

Asked about the security situation following recent coups in Niger and Gabon, Phee said the US has “long been concerned about coastal West Africa as well as Nigeria, because if the terrorist threat in the Sahel were to disrupt life in those countries, it would be really problematic for a huge portion of Africa.”

The visit comes as the war in the Gaza Strip enters day 104, with Israel's air and ground attacks killing nearly 25,000, mostly women and children, while leaving 62,000 injured, according to Palestinian health authorities. Blinken went on his fourth Middle East tour earlier this month, visiting several countries, including Israel, where he said the US continues to stand with Tel Aviv but civilian casualties in Gaza remain “far too high.”

Asked about the urgency of Blinken's trip to Africa amid the ongoing tension in the Middle East, including the war in Gaza and Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, Miller said it is “incredibly important” that those African countries require US engagement.

“We have challenges on the continent of Africa. But as I said in my opening remarks, we also have a lot of opportunities that the president has made a priority and the Secretary has made a priority,” he said. “But I will also say that one of the things that you've seen the secretary do during his travels is that no matter where we are in the world, he still tends to be focused on other challenges.”