Biden sends top officials to try to win over African nations long-wooed by China and Russia

United Nations — The United States' Ambassador to the United Nations is heading to Africa this week. She'll be the second member of the Biden cabinet to visit this month as the administration seeks to demonstrate its commitment to addressing the myriad challenges facing the continent, from conflict to climate change.

While neither Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield nor Treasury Secretary Janet Yellin, who arrived several days ago, have spoken directly about countering any other nation's influence, their visits are also a clear bid by Washington to answer both China and Russia's significant and expanding economic, political, and military influence across Africa.

Next week, I’ll be traveling to Ghana 🇬🇭, Mozambique 🇲🇿, and Kenya 🇰🇪. Look forward to advancing our shared priorities on a range of issues, including regional security, climate change, and food security.https://t.co/lIlAVErd8g

— Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield (@USAmbUN) January 22, 2023

A senior Biden administration official said the high-level visits were intended to highlight the U.S.'s interest in helping to "address the impacts of drought, of conflict… climate change, and other contributors to food insecurity around the world."