U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Ethiopia next week, the State Department said. The visit, set as Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed works to reestablish himself on the world stage following the two-year Tigray war, comes as foreign troops remain within the region and bureaucratic hurdles hamper the humanitarian response. Blinken will also visit Niger, a key U.S. security partner, during the trip, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement. It will be the first-ever visit to Niger by a U.S. secretary of state. (https://neuters.de/world/africa/blinken-travel-ethiopia-niger-march-14-19-state-dept-2023-03-10/) Africa has emerged as a focus for Washington as it aims to position itself as a partner to countries in the region amid competition with China, which has sought to expand its influence by funding infrastructure projects on the continent. The visit to Addis Ababa and Niamey is one of a slew of high-level visits the Biden administration has planned to Africa this year.