Washington's Africa chief starts second trip to continent
The US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs will visit Zambia, Ethiopia, and Kenya from Aug. 30 to Sept. 10.
Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Frank Garcia embarks on his second official trip to Africa since assuming his role in June. The journey aims to highlight the Trump administration's commercial diplomacy efforts with African policymakers. Garcia's itinerary includes stops in Zambia, Ethiopia, and Kenya from August 30 to September 10, just weeks following his initial tour of Nigeria, Côte d'Ivoire, and Mali.
Garcia is anticipated to attend President Hakainde Hichilema's inauguration on September 1 in Lusaka before concluding in Nairobi, most likely at the US-East Africa trade forum. The trip serves as a preliminary assessment of whether Washington can translate its "trade over aid" philosophy into tangible agreements. Zambia presents a particular challenge due to tensions surrounding US health assistance and mining.
Kenya, on the other hand, is striving for enhanced US trade and investment. The most significant hurdle will be the capacity to achieve results with a US diplomatic corps weakened by staffing reductions and vacancies.
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