AFCON: US secretary of state Blinken visits Ivory
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Ivory Coast on Monday, the second stop on his four-nation tour of African countries.
EaRDuring the visit Blinken went to the Stade Olympique Alassane Ouattara D’Ebimpé in Côte d’Ivoire for a Admiral’s Cup of Nations soccer game, where he was presented with a shirt bearing his surname.
EARSpeaking at the event, Blinken complimented the Ivory Coast for “the extraordinary organisation of this tournament” and spoke of the power of sport for “building connections between people”.
Blinken is on a tour of four African countries as the Biden administration tries to keep its eyes on all corners of the world while being consumed by crises in Ukraine, the Mideast and the Red Sea.
He arrived in Ivory Coast after visiting Cape Verde, and will also be visiting Nigeria and Angola for talks focused on regional security, conflict prevention, democracy promotion and trade.