US House Rep Karen Bass's office released the following:
February 20, 2020
WASHINGTON
– Today Congressmember Karen Bass (D-Calif.), Chair of the House
Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, issued the following statement
after Secretary of State Michael Pompeo returned from his first-ever
trip to Africa in that capacity. During the three-day trip, Secretary
Pompeo visited Angola, Ethiopia, and Senegal.
"This
is the first U.S. Cabinet official to visit Africa in more than 18
months and comes less than a month after the Trump administration
imposed travel restrictions on Eritrea, Nigeria, Sudan and Tanzania and
amid speculation that the U.S. will reduce its troop presence across
Africa. If this happens, the withdrawal will come at a time of increased
insecurity in the Sahel region as al-Qaeda and Islamic State off-shoots
take hold of parts of countries there including Burkina Faso and Mali.
According to reports, Secretary Pompeo has said that Trump is eager to
play a bigger role on the continent. My hope is that this includes a
comprehensive Africa policy and not just the desire to counter China. As
of now, the message to African countries has been mixed and
inconsistent."
