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Washington is stepping up its diplomacy in the Horn of Africa. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has just appointed a US envoy for the region. Jeffrey Feltman will assume this role. A seasoned diplomat, he was former US Assistant Secretary of State for the Middle East and then UN Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs. While Antony Blinken says he fears an escalation of conflicts in the region, Jeffrey Feltman will have to play a coordinating role between different states and regional and international actors.
With our correspondent in Nairobi, Albane Thirouard
Seek a solution to the conflict in Tigray. Avoid an escalation between Addis Ababa and Khartoum which are disputing a border area. And ease the tensions between Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt, around the Ethiopian dam on the Nile. The roadmap given to him by President Joe Biden promises to be complicated for Jeffrey Feltman.
Through his appointment, commentators see it as a desire of the Biden administration to be more present in Africa. And to get involved in the fight against terrorism as well as on the humanitarian level and the defense of human rights. A diplomatic approach breaking with that of Donald Trump who had triggered the withdrawal of American troops from Somalia.
The Horn of Africa is a very strategic region for Washington. Because of its location first, between Africa and the Middle East. But also because the Americans are very present there, both militarily and economically, and wish to maintain their influence there.
However, the task promises to be difficult for Jeffrey Feltman. The African Union recently failed to bring Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt to a Renaissance Dam deal. The American envoy also risks clashing with the political sovereignty of countries, especially Ethiopia.
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