United States (US) Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is on his first official trip to Africa this week, visiting Ethiopia, Kenya, Djibouti, Chad and Nigeria. His top African diplomat, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Africa Donald Yamamoto, cast the trip in broad terms. He said the US needed to position itself to help Africa address its economic and security challenges, but also to take advantage of its economic opportunities.
Despite the broad sweep of US interests as presented by Yamamoto, including the need to build strong governance institutions, one couldn't help but notice that all five countries on Tillerson's itinerary could be described as contemporary 'frontline states'.
...