Under Secretary of State for the United States Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights, Uzra Zeya is embarking on a special tour of two African countries, Kenya and Ethiopia in the course of this week.
Uzra Zeya travels to Nairobi, the capital of Kenya and Addis Ababa in Ethiopia during her five day itinerary in the Eastern African Region.
The trip to Kenya and Ethiopia takes place from the 4th to the 8th of August, 2024.
According to an official statement from the U.S Department of State, the Under Secretary visit to Kenya and Ethiopia entails engagement on human rights, democratic governance, and humanitarian cooperation.
In Kenya, Under Secretary Zeya will meet with senior government officials, civil society representatives, and the United States exchange alumni.
Among other things, the official’s visit to Nairobi aims at reinforcing the 60-year-strong partnership between Kenya and the United States of America.
This includes joint efforts to strengthen the rule of law, champion anti-corruption and advance government accountability.
In addition to addressing shared solutions to regional and global challenges, she will underscore the importance of freedoms of peaceful assembly and expression, as well as rekindling the United States support for democratic reforms and refugee inclusion.
Kenya has been experiencing massive protests from the country’s youth population who took onto the streets, opposing escalating costs of living and the government’s excessive expenditure.
After Kenya, Zeya travels to Ethiopia, where the Under Secretary gets to engage leaders from the Ethiopian government, the African Union, and civil society on the protection of human rights throughout the country.
She also gets to address the importance of inclusive, transparent transitional justice, and advancing the protections of refugees, displaced persons, and humanitarian workers.
Additionally, the Under Secretary will visit a refugee center providing child protection, education, and health care to underscore U.S. partnerships to support refugees and host communities, as the single largest donor of humanitarian assistance to Ethiopia.