State’s Number 2 to lead U.S. delegation to Africa summit

The State Department’s Number 2 diplomat will lead the U.S. delegation to this week’s African Union summit, the department announced Monday.

Deputy Secretary of State William Burns will be accompanied by officials from across the federal government in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The annual meeting is dedicated to agriculture and food security but is also expected to focus on hot spots such as Islamist extremism, violence in central Africa and the ongoing problems plaguing Somalia, Mali and South Sudan.

Other members of the delegation include:

• Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Linda Thomas-Greenfield;

• Deputy to the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations Rexon Ryu;

• U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan Donald Booth;

• U.S. Special Envoy for the Great Lakes and the DRC Russell D. Feingold;

• USAID Associate Administrator Mark Feierstein;

• USAID Assistant Administrator for Africa Earl Gast and

• Acting Assistant to the Administrator for Food Security Tjada McKenna;

• Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Africa Florizelle Liser, and

• Special Assistant to the President and NSC Senior Director for African Affairs Grant Harris.

“The delegation will meet with a variety of AU and regional officials to discuss how the United States and the AU are working together toward important shared priorities for Africa,” according to the State Department.

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