Photo : Evelyn Hockstein | AP Photo
NIAS Area Studies
AFRICA MONITOR
Photo : Evelyn Hockstein | AP Photo
IN BRIEF
by Anu Maria Joseph
Africa: US Secretary of State's visit to Ethiopia and Niger
On 15 March, the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, during his visit to Ethiopia, highlighted the importance of implementation of the peace agreement between the federal government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF). He said that there needs to be accountability on atrocities committed by warring parties during the conflict. Meanwhile, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said that the two leaders discussed strengthening relations which hardened during the conflict. On 16 March, Blinken visited Niger and met with former jihadists who were rehabilitated through a vocational training programme by the US. He called the country a model for the region, which has seen an increasing threat of Islamist militancy. It is the first ever visit by a US Secretary of State to Niger. (“Blinken due to meet Ethiopia political leaders,” BBC, 15 March 2023)