United States (US) Vice President Kamala Harris will make a historic trip to the African continent near the end of March with stops in Ghana, Tanzania and Zambia.
She is the first black Vice President of the United States and the first woman to hold that position.
The White House has framed the trip as an effort to build on the recent US-Africa Leaders’ Summit and as part of engagements to strengthen US partnerships throughout Africa and advance shared efforts on security and economic prosperity.
Harris will become just the latest high-ranking US official to visit the continent after trips by various cabinet-level officials in recent months including Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and US Ambassador to the United Nations (UN) Linda Thomas Greenfield in addition to US First Lady Dr Jill Biden who recently concluded a five-day visit to Kenya and Namibia, as part of strategic follow-ups to last December’s US Africa Leaders’ Summit.
Biden says, “We wanted to come because, you know, this is a young democracy and we want to support democracies around the world and we met each other in December, and we’re just continuing the relationship. And Monica and I, I think it’s safe to say that we became good friends instantly. It was just one of those things where you meet somebody, and you connect and so we work on a lot of the same issues and that’s why it was important that I continue my work and come and show support for Namibia.”
The White House says the VP will, during her visit, advance efforts to expand access to the digital economy, support climate adaptation and resilience and strengthen business ties and investment including through innovation, entrepreneurship and the economic empowerment of women.
US-Africa strategy
Council on Foreign Relations, Michelle Gavin says, “This visit is very much of a piece with the US Africa strategy that was actually rolled out in South Africa not too long ago as the Biden administration tries to reframe its relationships on the continent in a much more global context and look for partners to try and build a reformed, rules-based international order. The high-level visits are absolutely intended to signal a commitment to finding overlaps in our Venn diagram interests. There’s no way to move out on this strategy without some significant African leaders playing a role greater than the portfolio they have dealing with their own country, really helping to frame and advance African equities on the global stage.”
This visit is very much of a piece with the US Africa strategy that was actually rolled out in South Africa not too long ago as the Biden administration tries to reframe its relationships on the continent in a much more global context and look for partners to try and build a reformed, rules-based international order.
The high-level visits are absolutely intended to signal a commitment to finding overlaps in our Venn diagram interests. There’s no way to move out on this strategy without some significant African leaders playing a role greater than the portfolio they have dealing with their own country, really helping to frame and advance African equities on the global stage.
She will travel with second Gentlemen Douglas Emhoff with stops in Accra where she will meet with President Nana Akufo Addo, Dar es Salam where she will meet Tanzania’s first woman President Samia Hassan and finally to Lusaka for engagements with President Hakainde Hichilema.
Harris is also expected to engage with civil society, including young leaders, business representatives and members of the African Diaspora. Other focus areas of the visit will include issues around democracy, economic growth, food security and the continued impacts of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
