Special to USAfrica magazine (Houston) and USAfricaonline.com, first Africa-owned, US-based newspaper published on the Internet.
The United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, is visiting three African countries, namely: Kenya, Nigeria and Senegal, from November 15-20, 2021.
His first destination is Nairobi, Kenya — where he will meet with Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs Ambassador Raychelle Omamo.
The U.S State Department notes Blinken will be “affirming our strategic partnership with Kenya. The Secretary and representatives of the Kenyan government will discuss our shared interests as members of the UN Security Council, including addressing regional security issues such as Ethiopia, Somalia, and Sudan. The Secretary will advance U.S.-Kenyan cooperation on ending COVID-19, improving clean energy access, and protecting the environment. The Secretary will underscore U.S. support for a peaceful and inclusive Kenyan election in 2022.”
After his meetings in Kenya, Blinken will fly to Abuja. He will meet with Nigeria’s President, retired Army General Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria’s Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, and Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama and “discuss furthering cooperation on global health security, expanding energy access and economic growth, and revitalizing democracy. The Secretary will deliver a speech on U.S.-Africa policy in the capital of Africa’s largest democracy. Additionally, the Secretary will engage with Nigerian entrepreneurs in the digital sector.”
Blinken will conclude his trip in Dakar, Senegal. He will meet with President Macky Sall and Foreign Minister Aïssata Tall Sall “to reaffirm the close partnership between our two countries. Given President Sall’s upcoming African Union chairmanship, Secretary Blinken looks forward to discussing regional issues and shared values. The Secretary will engage in events that highlight America’s strong commercial relationship with Senegal, amplify the role of female Senegalese entrepreneurs, and showcase the U.S. partnership to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.”
USAfricaonline.com notes that those engagements by Blinken, an experienced diplomat and international security expert, will be his first official trip to the African continent, as America’s chief diplomat. By Chido Nwangwu, Founder & Publisher of USAfrica multimedia networks and public policy think tank — since 1992, Houston. Twitter @Chido247