US President to visit Ethiopia, AU HQs next month

By Tesfa-Alem Tekle

June 20, 2015 (ADDIS ABABA) – US President, Barack Obama, will travel to Ethiopia next month, making him the first sitting American leader to visit the African nation, the White House said on Friday.

In Addis Ababa, the US president will meet with Ethiopian government officials and will also hold separate talks with leaderships of the African Union (AU) on a number of regional and continental concerns.

Obama’s visit to the AU headquarters would be seen as a major approval to the role the continental bloc is exerting.

Also, the visit to AU will be the first for a sitting US President to visit the continental organization.

According to White House press secretary, Josh Earnest, the president will discuss on ways how to “accelerate economic growth, strengthen democratic institutions, and improve security” in the African continent.

This visit “will build on the success of the August 2014 US-Africa Leaders Summit by strengthening ties with our African partners and highlighting America’s longstanding commitment to investing in Africa,” Earnest said

While in Kenya, the US leader will participate in the 2015 global Entrepreneurship summit, an annual conference that aims to connect entrepreneurs with various organizations, governments and business leaders.

Ethiopia is a key ally of the US in the war against terrorism and has played crucial role in the war against al Qaida allied Somalia militant group, al-Shabab.

Obama’s next month’s trip to Africa is said to be the president’s last trip to the African continent.

Since assumed power in 2008 as first black president of the United States, Obama has visited five African countries namely Egypt, Ghana, South Africa, Senegal and Tanzania.

(ST)