Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Phee will travel to South Africa, Nigeria, and Ethiopia February 5-19.

In South Africa, Assistant Secretary Phee will participate in the University Partnerships Initiative Summit at the Future Africa Campus of the University of Pretoria to show U.S. support for advancing higher education across the continent of Africa. In addition, she will meet with South African leaders in politics, business, and civil society.

In Lagos and Abuja, Assistant Secretary Phee will engage civil society, youth, the private sector, religious leaders, election officials, political party leaders, and government representatives. Her visit will underscore the U.S. commitment to supporting free and fair elections in February and March that are conducted peacefully.

In Ethiopia, Assistant Secretary Phee will be joined by Ambassador Johnnie Carson, the Special Presidential Representative for U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit Implementation, and other U.S. officials. Their travel will coincide with the African Union (AU) Summit and focus on follow up to U.S. commitments. They will meet with heads of state and ministers attending the summit. This visit is an example of U.S. action to deepen and expand our partnership with African governments, businesses, and publics to meet the shared challenges and opportunities of our era.

The United States reaffirms the value of a strong African Union and welcomes the AU's leadership on the global stage. We are proud of our dynamic partnership with the AU, its member states, and the peoples of Africa. We are dedicated to working together to advance our shared global priorities to foster openness and open societies, deliver democratic and security dividends, promote pandemic recovery and economic opportunity, and support conservation, climate adaptation, and a just energy transition.

Office of the Spokesperson