Blinken says US is “equal partner” with African countries

By MOGOMOTSI MAGOME
Associated Press

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in South Africa that President Joe Biden’s administration sees Africa’s 54 nations as “equal partners” in tackling global problems. Blinken said at the University of Pretoria in a speech detailing the Biden administration’s policies for Africa. Blinken said that the United States and African nations must work together in order to achieve shared priorities such as recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, creating broad-based economic opportunities, addressing the climate crisis, expanding energy access, revitalizing democracies and strengthening the free and open international order. The United States’ top diplomat is in South Africa as part of a three-nation tour of Africa including Congo and Rwanda.