Last Sunday, Kamala Harris, the first black female vice president of the United States, arrived in Accra, Ghana, to start a three-nation tour of Africa. Other stops on her trip include Tanzania and Zambia.
Vice President Kamala Harris began her week-long journey to the continent on Monday by pledging support for Ghana, a democracy pillar in the area that is being squeezed by an economic crisis and security worries as fears of terrorism and Russian mercenaries spread throughout West Africa.
The high-profile backing for Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo, who is dealing with mounting inflationary unrest after previously leading one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, was demonstrated by the visit.
At a joint news conference held at Accra's Jubilee House, the presidential palace, Harris remarked, "Under your leadership, Ghana has been a beacon of democracy and a contributor to world peace and security."
On the second day of her three-nation African visit, which will come to a close on April 2, Kamala Harris entered the stage beneath the arch of Black Star Gate, a memorial commemorating Ghana's 1957 independence from British colonial authority.
Her first trip to Africa, when she made history as the highest-ranking member of the Biden administration to do so, was in support of the administration's initiatives to fortify relationships with African nations and promote their common goals of security and economic progress.
A new age of collaboration
In front of more than 8,000 young Ghanaians gathered in Accra under the noon sun to hear her speak, she promised a new age of collaboration between the US and Africa while praising women's empowerment, expanding the digital economy, and promoting democracy.
We have a history that is connected, some of which is sad and some of which is proud, and which we must all recognize, teach, and never forget. This is why we are all in.
Harris, though, stressed the forward-looking nature of her trip to the three nations, and on Monday she committed $139 million in American aid to West Africa, the majority of which would go towards preventing conflicts in the Sahel, where Islamist militants have increased their presence.
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