Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris is slated to spend a week in Africa at the end of March, 2023 as the United States extends its outreach to the continent amid global competition, notably with China.
A statement from the Vice President’s Spokesperson, Kirsten Allen, noted, “The trip will strengthen the United States’ partnerships throughout Africa and advance our shared efforts on security and economic prosperity.”
The U.S Vice President’s plans follow visits by First lady Jill Biden and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit the African continent this week, and President Joe Biden is expected to travel to Africa later this year.
Blinken will visit Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital and Niamey, capital of Niger starting on Tuesday, March 14, 2023, to discuss the peace deal that ended hostilities in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region and counter-terrorism efforts aimed at Islamic extremists in Niger and the Sahel more broadly.
Also, Blinken plans to see African Union Commission Chairperson, Moussa Faki Mahamat “to discuss shared global and regional priorities.
Blinken’s visit to Niger on March 16, 2023 will be the first by a U.S. Secretary of State. While in Niamey, Blinken will discuss security cooperation with President Mohamed Bazoum and Foreign Minister, Hassoumi Massaoudou.
Nonetheless, Kamala Harris will be closely watched during her visit as first Black Vice President in U.S. history and the first woman to hold the position. She plans to be in Ghana from March 26 to 29, then in Tanzania from March 29 to 31. Her final stop is Zambia, on March 31 and April 1, 2023.
Harris has a personal connection to the third country on her itinerary; Zambia. Her maternal grandfather worked in Zambia years ago, and she visited him there as a young girl.
Promoting Democracy, Climate Adaptation And Women’s Economic Empowerment
The U.S Vice President’s Spokesperson, Kirsten Allen divulged that Harris’ agenda will include promoting democracy, climate adaptation, women’s economic empowerment and food security.
Besides meeting the Presidents of each of the three countries she will be visiting, Kamala Harris intends to talk with “young leaders, business representatives, entrepreneurs, and members of the African Diaspora,” Allen added.
The White House’s concerted outreach to the continent began with the U.S-Africa Leaders Summit, which it hosted in December, 2022. China has invested heavily in Africa, but the U.S is pitching itself as a better partner than Beijing.
“Our administration will invest our time and our energy to fortify partnerships across the continent. Partnerships grounded in candor, openness, inclusiveness, shared interests and mutual benefits,” she said at the summit.
“Our administration will be guided not by what we can do for Africa but what we can do with Africa,” Harris added.
Although competition between the U.S. and China has been the backdrop of much American foreign policy, the Democratic administration is trying to calibrate its approach to Africa so leaders on the continent do not feel as though they are being caught in the middle of a geopolitical contest.
A senior administration official stressed that the White House wants to put forward an “affirmative agenda” that incorporates concerns about China and ripple effects from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine but is not dominated by them.
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