Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will embark on a trip this week where he'll visit various U.S. allies in Africa.
His trip, starting Saturday, will include stops in Djibouti, Kenya, and Angola. He'll visit U.S. military personnel stationed in Djibouti and Kenya, where he'll reiterate "the Department's appreciation and gratitude for their service and dedication to promoting peace and security in the region," a Pentagon travel advisory said.
ROBERT MENENDEZ INDICTED: DEMOCRATIC NEW JERSEY SENATOR FACES FEDERAL CHARGES OF BRIBERY
Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said the trip is intended to "underscore the United States's commitment to building and reinforcing security partnerships with African nations and to promote African-led initiatives and regional — regional solutions to security issues."
Austin will meet with senior Djiboutian officials to discuss military cooperation and regional security challenges, and he’ll discuss shared security interests and counterterrorism efforts with Kenyan defense leaders, while his meeting in Angola will emphasize strengthening the military cooperation between the two countries.
A number of African countries have experienced political upheaval and attempted coups of democratically elected leaders in recent months and years. Most recently, Gabon and Niger experienced attempted coups, while other military leaders have seized power in Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, and Chad.
"We stand with the African Union and [Economic Community of West African States] and other regional bodies to support constitutional rule," President Joe Biden said this week at the United Nations. "We will not retreat from the values that make us strong. We will defend democracy — our best tool to meet the challenges we face around the world. And we’re working to show how democracy can deliver in ways that matter to people’s lives."
The U.S. has air bases in Niamey, the capital of Niger, and in the remote city of Agadez, on the southern edge of the Sahara. Niger Air Base 201, which cost $110 million to build and is near the city of Agadez, is where the military launches counterterrorism drones against terrorist groups in the region.
A coup in Niger, which began when Abdourahamane Tchiani, a presidential guard general, placed Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum under house arrest in late July, temporarily prevented the U.S. from launching such strikes and forced the military to prepare for a possible evacuation, though some intelligence and surveillance missions have since been able to resume.
"Well, it's certainly not business as usual as we're not conducting operations or conducting any other exercises with our Nigerien counterparts at this moment," deputy Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said in late August. "What we're focused on, what this building and other agencies remain focused on, is seeing a resolve to this diplomatically. And so I'll just leave it at that."
Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with leaders from ECOWAS, as well as Mauritania, to discuss the “complex political crisis in Niger,” spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement on Friday.
“Partners were united in their position that the National Council for Safeguarding the Homeland in Niger must release President Mohamed Bazoum, his family, and all those unlawfully detained,” Miller added. “The Secretary outlined the steps the United States has taken to support ECOWAS pressure on the CNSP to restore democracy, including restricting more than $600 million in security and development assistance, and suspending Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) compacts.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The U.S., Russia, and China are all seeking to expand their influence on the continent.
Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa are members of the BRICS bloc of developing countries, and they invited Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Argentina, Egypt, and Ethiopia to join the group following their gathering last month in South Africa.