U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton plans to travel to Africa next week on a seven-nation tour. Clinton is to begin her trip on Aug. 5 in Kenya, the State Department said Monday. She also plans to meet in Nairobi with Sheikh Sharif Amed, the President of Somalia's transitional government, State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said. After Kenya, Clinton will travel to South Africa, Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Liberia and Cape Verde. «In each nation, she will emphasize Africa as a place of opportunity, built on an ethic of responsibility,» Kelly said. «She will underline America's commitment to partner with governments, the private sector, non-governmental organizations and private citizens to build societies where each individual can realize their potential.» «Africa no longer sits on the margins of U.S. diplomacy and international trade,» Kelly said. «The continent is a source of creativity, dynamic development, and the secretary will call for even stronger links with global markets and knowledge networks.»
