Hillary Clinton begins seven-nation Africa tour on August 5
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will visit seven African countries next month to 'highlight' the priority President Barack Obama places on the continent, her spokesman has said.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will visit seven African countries next month to "highlight" the priority President Barack Obama places on the continent, her spokesman has said.
Following Obama's own visit to Ghana on July 12, Clinton will travel August 5 to Kenya, the birthplace of Obama's father, before travelling to South Africa, Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Liberia and Cape Verde, spokesman Ian Kelly said on Monday.
"This trip will highlight the Obama administration's commitment to making Africa a priority in US foreign policy," Kelly said in a statement.
"This will be the earliest in any US administration that both the president and the secretary of state have visited Africa."
The chief US diplomat will first attend the US-Sub-Saharan Africa Trade and Economic Cooperation Forum in Nairobi on August 5, according to the State Department.
"Clinton will discuss new approaches to development, including an emphasis on investment and broad-based economic growth" at the talks in Kenya, Kelly said.
Accompanying the chief US diplomat to Nairobi, her spokesman said, will be Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, US Trade Representative Ron Kirk, and Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Johnnie Carson.