Secretary of State Antony Blinken is visiting Ethiopia and Niger this week as the Biden administration accelerates a push to engage with Africa to counter China's growing influence on the continent, the State Department said. His trip will be the fourth high-profile visit to Africa this year by top members of the Biden administration. The Tigray conflict led the U.S. to suspend some preferential trade agreements with Ethiopia, which the country is eager to have restored. "What we're looking to do is refashion our engagement with Ethiopia," said Molly Phee, the assistant secretary of state for African affairs. The conflict in Tigray erupted a year after Abiy received the Nobel Peace Prize for making peace with longtime rival Eritrea.

Source: Ethiopian News March 14, 2023 23:39 UTC