Jill Biden, the First Lady of the United States, has begun her five-day visit to Africa with a trip to Namibia. Jill Biden’s Africa visit is part of President Joe Biden’s efforts to deepen the United States’ engagement with the continent. On her arrival, she was greeted by dancers representing Namibia’s various ethnic groups, some dressed in red, white, and blue, and others in bright pink. The country has not welcomed a high-level U.S. official since 1996.
Why is Jill Biden’s Africa visit happening now?
During her stay in Africa, Jill Biden will focus on promoting the empowerment of Africa’s women and youth, and raise awareness about the hunger crisis affecting the drought-prone Horn of Africa region. Her trip will also include a visit to Kenya.
Accompanied by her granddaughter Naomi Biden, Jill Biden’s first stop in Namibia was a 45-minute drive south of the capital of Windhoek, where she laid a wreath at Heroes’ Acre, Namibia’s official war memorial. She is also set to meet with President Hage Geingob and his wife at the State House.
According to the White House, Africa is the fastest-growing and youngest region in the world, with one in every four people in the world projected to be African by 2050.
This is Jill Biden’s sixth time visiting Africa, but her first as First Lady. Her predecessors also made similar trips to the continent, all with the aim of fostering goodwill towards the United States. While the White House has withheld specific details of the First Lady’s activities in each country due to security concerns, Jill Biden’s trip aims to deepen the U.S.’s commitment to Africa’s future.
Last month Pope Francis embarked on a six-day trip to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and South Sudan, in a trip aimed at spreading a message of peace and reconciliation.
Image Credit: AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File
