The United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken will visit Nigeria and three other African countries between the 21 and 26 of January 2024.
A press release from the State Department revealed that Anthony Blinken will make his first trip to the Sub-Saharan region in ten months next week.
Blinken is planning to visit Lagos and Nigeria, holding talks with President Tinubu and other business and political leaders across the country. He will also touch down in Cape Verde, Angola and Ivory Coast.
- “The statement noted that Blinken will Blinken conversations about economic growth and “foster security partnerships grounded in shared values, including a commitment to human rights, the promotion of democracy, and the expansion of the rule of law.”
Furthermore, the visit will provide the United States with the state their commitment to coastal countries around West Africa and the importance of the strategic partnership to promote peace and stability in the ECOWAS region.
- It stated, “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.”
What you should know
- During Blinken’s most recent trip to sub-Saharan Africa, he became the highest-ranking US official to visit Niger. His visit aimed to support the faltering democracy of Niger, which stands as a frontline country in the battle against Sahel jihadists.
- However, merely four months later, the elected president, Mohamed Bazoum, was ousted by the military. This week, Niger’s prime minister, now installed by the army, visited Russia for discussions on enhancing military cooperation.
- President Joe Biden, who expressed a renewed commitment to Africa when he hosted African leaders in Washington in December 2022, had initially pledged to visit the continent in 2023. However, the likelihood of a visit this year has diminished, given his current emphasis on re-election.