London — The President of the World Bank, Robert Zoellick, will visit Mozambique on 3-4 February, as part of his first official visit to Africa, on a tour which will also include Mauritania, Liberia and Ethiopia.

The visit follows a decision by the World Bank's soft loan affiliate. The International Development Association (IDA) to expand deepen its support for the continent.

Last year the IDA committed itself to spending 5.7 billion dollars in Africa. The World Bank's private sector funding arm, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), pledged a further 1.6 billion.

During his trip to Mozambique, Zoellick is scheduled to meet with President Armando Guebuza, as well as representatives from government, the private sector, and civil society. He will also pay a visit to Sofala province where flooding has displaced tens of thousands of people.

Zoellick will visit the Mozal aluminium smelter on the outskirts of Maputo, and the point for the distribution to Matola of natural gas from the Temane field in Inhambane province. Both Mozal and the Temane gas project have been supported by the IFC and by another institution in the World Bank group, MIGA (Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency).

Zoellick will visit Mozambique after attending an African Union summit in Addis Ababa. There he will be the first World Bank President to speak at a Summit of African heads of state and government.

According to the World Bank, it is working increasingly closely with the AU on issues such as regional integration, governance, post-conflict countries, and engaging the African Diaspora in the development of the continent.