U.S Secretary Anthony Blinken Embarks on Trip to Visit South Africa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cambodia, and Rwanda

Secretary Blinken is currently visiting South Africa. From August 7-9, he is expected to launch the U.S. Strategy for Sub-Saharan Africa, which affirms the U.S. belief that African countries are geostrategic players and essential allies in addressing today’s most pressing problems, such as promoting an open and stable international order, ways to combat the effects of climate change, food insecurity prevention tactics, healthcare plans for global pandemics, as well as determining the future in terms of technological advancements and the economy.

He is serving as the head of the American delegation for the U.S.-South Africa Strategic Dialogue in Pretoria, where he is set to discuss ways to strengthen and deepen the U.S. commitment to bilateral cooperation on a range of shared objectives, including health, infrastructure, trade, and investment, and climate change.

Secretary Blinken is also slated to participate in South Africa’s National Women’s Day ceremony in Johannesburg on Tuesday, August 9th.

He will then meet with senior Democratic Republic of Congo government officials and representatives of civil society on August 9 and 10. Together, they will talk about the U.S. shared interest in guaranteeing free, inclusive, and fair elections in 2023; fostering respect for human rights; and defending basic freedom.

Additionally, he will concentrate on eradicating corruption, promoting trade and investment, addressing the climate challenges, increasing agricultural resilience, and supporting regional African efforts to establish peace in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and the larger Great Lakes region.

Later this week, Secretary Blinken will also visit senior Rwandan government officials and members of the civil society on August 10 and 11 to discuss common goals, including peacekeeping. He will most likely concentrate on what the Rwandan government can do to ease tensions and stop the current bloodshed and violence in eastern DRC.

He will also bring up issues related to democracy and human rights, such as transnational repression, the shrinking space for political opposition, and the unjust arrest of Paul Rusesabagina, a lawful permanent resident of the United States.