US Blinken meets with AU representatives in Ethiopia

The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat in Addis Ababa on Thursday to discuss shared global and regional priorities.

The meeting forms part of the Biden administration’s effort to show deference to the region and avoid perceptions of an overbearing US role.

The US government is seeking renewed engagement in Africa in the face of rising investment by China, seen as the challenger to the United States in the region.

After Ethiopia, Antony Blinken is also scheduled to visit Niger, a country seen as an outpost of support for Western military operations in a region increasingly dominated by Russia.