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WORLD NEWS Monday 17 February 2020

U.S. secretary of state visits Senegal to start Africa tour

remain present. We hope Lourenco, who is making
they will continue to sup- strides against corruption,
port in security areas. We including actions against
hope they will continue to close relatives of the former
support us in training and leader.
intelligence. This was dis- Then Pompeo heads to
cussed with the president Ethiopia, Africa's second-
of the republic." most populous nation with
Pompeo came to Senegal more than 100 million peo-
to start his tour of Africa, ple and the headquarters
the first U.S. Cabinet of- of the African Union.
ficial to visit in more than Ethiopia, a key U.S. security
18 months. He left Senegal ally in the Horn of Africa,
Sunday to go to Angola has undergone dramatic
and after that will travel to political reforms since No-
Ethiopia as the Trump ad- bel Peace Prize-winning
ministration tries to counter Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed
the growing interest of Chi- took office in 2018.
na, Russia and other glob- The loosening of repressive
al powers in Africa and its measures has been ex-
booming young popula- ploited by some with long-
tion of more than 1.2 billion. held grievances, leading
In Angola, an oil-rich coun- to sometimes violent ethnic
try whose people remain tensions that threaten a
impoverished, Pompeo will national election later this
meet with President Joao year.q

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo departs from the International airport in Dakar, Senegal,
Sunday, Feb. 16, 2020, as part of Pompeo's first visit to sub-Saharan Africa during which he will
seek to lay out a positive vision for US cooperation with the continent where China has been
increasingly active.
Associated Press
DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — ment of Defense is looking "And I'm convinced that
U.S. Secretary of State Mike at West Africa to make sure when our review is done,
Pompeo said the Trump we have our force levels we'll have a conversation
administration is working right," Pompeo said to re- with not just Senegal, but all
to determine what level of porters Sunday. the countries in the region
American military forces is "I was here as CIA director, ... We'll deliver an outcome
needed in West Africa to so I know these security is- that works for all of us."
counter the rise of extremist sues very, very well. We'll Senegal's Foreign Minister
violence in the region. get it right, we'll get it right Amadou Ba confirmed that
Speaking at the end of his collectively; I'm convinced West Africa is concerned
visit to Senegal, Pompeo of that." about the extremist vio-
said he discussed the issue Pompeo said the U.S. will lence that is spreading in
of the U.S. military pres- work with Senegal, other West Africa.
ence in West Africa with West African countries "Terrorism has no border,
President Macky Sall amid and France to counter the and it is very costly," said
reports that the Trump ad- growing threat of extremist Ba at the news conference
ministration intends to re- violence. with Pompeo. He said that
duce troops in Africa. "We have an obligation to Senegal and the region
"We did have a lot of con- get security right here, in wants continued military
versation about security is- the region — it's what will support from the U.S.
sues here, about America's permit economic growth "Yes, we are under threat,"
role in those. We've made and we're determined to Ba said.
it clear that the Depart- do that," Pompeo said. "We want them (the U.S.) to