WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden announced he plans to travel to Africa as he participated in a summit in Washington with leaders from the continent.
“I’m looking forward to seeing many of you in your home countries,” Biden said Thursday.
Vice President Kamala Harris, First Lady Jill Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Samantha Power, who heads the U.S. Agency for International Development, would be traveling to Africa as well, Biden said.
Asked for more details on the trip, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Harris and Cabinet officials would be traveling to Africa next year, but did not provide dates for Biden or countries they intend to visit.
“The vice president and a number of Cabinet officials — they’re all looking forward to visiting the African continent in 2023. Just don’t have anything to preview at this time,” Jean-Pierre said.
The announcement is part of Biden’s effort to revitalize the U.S. relationship with Africa, which has floundered over the past half decade as competitors like China have made inroads.
Biden on Thursday pledged to work with Congress to invest $55 billion in the continent over the next three years in an effort to boost its economy, security and health systems. The president also hosted a dinner for leaders Wednesday night that featured entertainment from singer Gladys Knight.
He also called for the African Union to join the Group of 20 and is pushing for a permanent seat for Africa on the United Nations Security Council.
The president attended a session on food security Thursday afternoon to cap off the summit, announcing $2 billion in humanitarian aid to tackle food insecurity in Africa.
“Today, famine once more stalks the Horn of Africa. High food prices and high trade barriers are taking a toll on the lives and livelihoods of millions of people across the continent,” Biden said.
“Food security is essential to the foundation of a broader peace and prosperity in my view,” he added.
The last U.S. president to travel to sub-Saharan Africa was Barack Obama, who visited Kenya and Ethiopia in 2015. Obama made four separate trips to the continent as president.
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(Bloomberg News reporter Josh Wingrove contributed to this article.)
