Blinken Kicks Off Africa Tour in Cape Verde and Ivory Coast

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is strengthening partnerships and promoting positive news on the continent amid major global conflicts.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has begun a tour of four African countries, starting with Cape Verde and Ivory Coast, to strengthen partnerships and promote positive news on the continent.
Blinken met with Cape Verde Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva and Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara to discuss shared priorities of strengthening democracy, expanding trade and improving local and regional security.
Blinken also attended a football match between Equatorial Guinea and Ivory Coast as part of the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations tournament.
Despite the Biden administration's focus on conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, officials insist they remain committed to strengthening ties with African nations, which hold vast economic potential and are a locus of great-power competition with China and Russia.
Blinken's visit to Cape Verde, a remote African island chain, is intended to show the Biden administration’s continued interest in Africa amid major conflicts in the Middle East and Europe.