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Top US Diplomat Begins Nigeria, Kenya, Senegal Tour, Today
The United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken will, today, begin his five-day official visit to Nigeria, Kenya, and Senegal, to underscore the depth and breadth of US relationships with African partners.
A State Department statement in Washington, DC, made available to The Tide via email at the weekend, indicated that “During the visit, the Secretary will advance U.S.-Africa collaboration on shared global priorities, including ending the COVID-19 pandemic and building back to a more inclusive global economy, combatting the climate crisis, revitalizing our democracies, and advancing peace and security”.
According to the statement, “Blinken will begin his trip in Nairobi, where he will meet with Kenyan President, Uhuru Kenyatta, and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Amb. Raychelle Omamo, 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.
“Blinken will then travel to Abuja, where he will meet with President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, and Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, and discuss furthering cooperation on global health security, expanding energy access and economic growth, and revitalising 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”.
The statement further said that, “The secretary will conclude his trip in Dakar, where 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”, the statement added.
Meanwhile, the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of African Affairs, Ervin Massinga, has addressed a special press conference, explaining the details of Blinken’s travel to Kenya, Nigeria, and Senegal.
While responding to some questions via teleconference, Massinga said, “I am pleased to announce that Secretary Blinken will depart Monday evening for his first in-person trip to Africa as Secretary of State, which will include visits to Kenya, Nigeria, and Senegal.
“Blinken’s visit comes at a critical time for U.S. relationships across the African continent as the United States and our partners work together on shared global priorities, including ending COVID-19, building back to a more inclusive global economy, combating climate change, revitalizing our democracies, and advancing peace and security in the region. The Secretary will look to advance U.S.-African partnerships and underscore the common values we share with Kenya, Nigeria, and Senegal and use those as platforms to really talk to the entirety of the continent but certainly the publics and leaders in those three countries…
“The Secretary will then move to Abuja, where he will meet with President Buhari, Vice President Osinbajo and the Foreign Minister Onyeama to discuss expanding energy access, democracy, civilian protection, security and human rights, economic growth, and improving our cooperation on global health security. Additionally, the Secretary will host a roundtable of entrepreneurs in the digital sector and meet with religious leaders. While in Abuja, Secretary Blinken will deliver a speech on U.S. Africa policy in the capital of Africa’s largest democracy…
“In all three countries, Secretary Blinken will advance U.S.-African collaboration to end COVID-19 and that epidemic. The United States is the single largest donor to COVAX and has provided over 56million COVID-19 vaccine doses to 43 countries in Africa in close coordination with the African Union and COVAX. These are facts you already know, but I just wanted to underscore those here.
“The U.S. has also provided more than 1.9billion in COVID-19 assistance to prevent virus transmission, case management, emergency food, and critical humanitarian services and supplies, vaccine delivery and support to sub-Saharan Africa. We’re investing in the solutions of the future, including clean energy that drives growth, African vaccine manufacturing capabilities, public-private partnerships to tackle vaccine distribution challenges, multilateral agreements to protect our oceans, sustainable infrastructure and technology that will help democracies deliver and make our citizens’ lives better.
“This visit is in support of amplifying U.S.-African relations and, again, partnerships. That’s really the key theme that underscores everything we’re doing in the continent and certainly the Secretary’s travel. That partnership is based on increasing democracy and cooperation and that builds on people-to-people connections, fosters new economic engagements, and reinforces our shared values grounded in renewed commitment to democracy and human rights. The Secretary’s travel follows an intensive round of in-person diplomacy by senior members of the administration, including our Under Secretary for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland and the very recent travel of our Assistant Secretary to Africa Molly Phee…”, Massinga said.
In his response on human rights violations in Nigeria arising from #EndSARS protests last year, the need to increase vaccination against COVID in Africa and scaling up renewable energy penetration in Nigeria, Massinga said, “We look forward to public discussion of the use of our – some of our most potent tools in both development and to promote sustainable, clean development: Power Africa, Prosper Africa, and the initial stages of planning around Build Back Better World, but certainly Prosper Africa and Power Africa as the foundation for some discussions and perhaps announcements during the trip that will speak directly to your question related to renewable energy. The United States is committed to working with African partners to promote clean and sustainable economic growth, and much of our trip or a good part of our trip will be designed to showcase that commitment.
“COVID and the U.S. commitment to combating the COVID pandemic – thank you for the question – we are incredibly proud of the efforts that we have undertaken through a variety of mechanisms to bring lifesaving vaccines and medical techniques to Africans to address the pandemic. There’s a lot of work that needs to be done, and we’re working in multiple avenues to achieve it. Some of the work that needs to be done is working in coordination with the African CDC. The United States is very proud of its efforts to stand up and support the African CDC, and the African CDC has been an essential partner in the planning for the rollout of vaccines throughout the continent. So, that partnership endures and is very important.
“Beyond that, there are discussions underway to address perhaps finding additional vaccine production facilities and value chains on the African continent itself, and I invite all of you to stay tuned and watch the development of the coming out – or developments coming out of the trip in that respect.
“Going back to the very first question about human rights in Nigeria, our – the conversations that the Secretary will have with African publics and African leaders will absolutely touch upon human rights and democratization, again, in the context of partnership and through a – through the lens of humility. But having said that, yes, of course, we will also be talking about all elements of democracy and human rights. It’s not an easy conversation, but we look forward to having that conversation with our African friends, including in Nigeria, including in all the countries where the Secretary will be visiting…”
While speaking on AFRICOM and enhancing civil-military partnerships on the continent, Massinga said, “You mentioned security partnerships with Nigeria, and you mentioned AFRICOM. Let me just say that the United States has an ongoing partnership with the combatant command AFRICOM to work with our African partners to find appropriate solutions to security questions. Let me refer to the Department of Defense and AFRICOM itself for additional comments there. But in terms of partnerships with our African friends across the continent, we’re always working to find appropriate means to enhance our partnerships and enhance the capabilities of our African friends, but knowing full well that governance issues often are the heart of many security questions.
“So, we have to get the economic development part right in coordination with our African partners and friends. The democratisation question, that needs to be addressed, and the security question. So, it’s a trinity in order to address some of these pernicious questions. That’s a reality, that’s a challenge that we look forward to sharing worldwide with our partners in Africa and around the globe”, Massinga added.
By: Nelson Chukwudi
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