US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in South Africa on Sunday to start his three-nation tour of Africa designed to counter Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s four-state African visit last month.
Blinken started the first leg of his Africa charm offensive after a whirlwind tour of southeast Asian states which he visited just days after US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s own Asian tour that included Taiwan.
The US is currently involved in the Ukraine war, while also battling heightened tensions with China over Taiwan following the controversial Pelosi visit to the self-governing island.
Blinked described the visit as “important” in view of the Russian’s African own tour.
“This visit is quite important. It happens after we saw the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visit Africa, trying to interact with the leaders of the continent,” Blinken said.
According to South Africa’s Ministry of International Cooperation, Blinken is expected to call on his counterpart Naledi Pandor to discuss US-South Africa relations in Pretoria on Monday.
The Democratic Republic of Congo would be next on the US official’s Africa safari, before he completes his tour in Rwanda.
Rwanda has been accused by the United Nations of sending troops into DRC in aid of the rebel group M23 in its fight against Congolese troops.
Blinken is scheduled to deliver an important speech in South Africa on Monday on climate change, trade, health, and food insecurity as topics of discussion
This is his second visit to Africa after visiting Nigeria, Senegal and Kenya last November.
NM/jn/APA