President Samia Suluhu with US Vice President Kamala Harris in Washington DC in 2022. PHOTO | COURTESY
Summary
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The US
Vice President Kamala Harris will be the latest among 18 top American officials
who have visited the continent since January this year.
US Vice President Kamala Harris will travel to
three African countries this month, a statement said Monday, as Washington looks to strengthen diplomatic ties on the continent.The trip to Tanzania, Ghana and
Zambia from March 25 to April 2 comes after a December summit hosted by President
Joe Biden in Washington with US leaders and counterparts from Africa, a
continent where China and Russia have enjoyed rising clout.
Harris's tour aims to
"strengthen the United States' partnerships throughout Africa and advance
our shared efforts on security and economic prosperity," a statement from
the vice president's office said.
She is due to meet with President
Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana, President Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania and
President Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia with topics including democracy,
economic growth, food security and impacts of Russia's war in Ukraine on the
agenda.
President Hassan met with Ms Harris
at the White House in Washington in April last year, where they discussed
bilateral cooperation.
Read: President Samia to meet Kamala
Harris at White House today
"The Vice President will
advance efforts to expand access to the digital economy, support climate
adaptation and resilience, and strengthen business ties and investment,"
the statement added.
Harris will be accompanied by her
husband, Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff, and is also due to meet with civil
society representatives.
The December summit was the first of
its kind since African leaders came in 2014 to see Barack Obama, whose
successor Donald Trump made no secret of his lack of interest in Africa, which
has become more heated as a diplomatic battleground following Russia's invasion
of Ukraine last year.
In September, Biden called for an
African permanent seat on the UN Security Council, backed a permanent African
Union role in the Group of 20 economies and said he was planning a visit -- the
first by a US president since 2015 -- to sub-Saharan Africa.
His wife, Jill Biden, reiterated the
commitment to helping African nations get a louder voice at the UN and other
international bodies on a trip to Namibia and Kenya in February.
Read: US First Lady Jill Biden to
visit Kenya and Namibia
Read:Jill Biden says Horn of Africa
needs more drought relief
Other top officials to visit the
continent include US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield to market
‘American values’, including democracy and the fight against corruption and
women empowerment.
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