Rise of Islamic militants on agenda as Obama meets Ethiopian leader

Barack Obama met the Ethiopian prime minister on Monday on the first visit by a serving U.S. president to a nation with one of the fastest-growing economies in Africa but which has often been criticised for its rights record. Talks with Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn are expected to focus on security and the threat of the Islamist militant group al Shabaab in Somalia. Obama, who arrived from Kenya on Sunday, also wants to boost business ties with Africa. Ethiopia’s ruling party, in power for quarter of a century, has turned the once famine-stricken economy around, but opponents say it has been at the expense of political freedoms. The opposition failed to secure a single seat in a May parliamentary election.

We are strongly committed to partnering with African countries to increase their capacity to address the immediate threats posed by terrorist organisations.

A White House spokesman

Ethiopia contributes troops to an African Union peace keeping force battling al Shabaab in Somalia. The group has often launched attacks in Kenya, but diplomats say Ethiopia’s state security apparatus has spared it similar assaults. Obama holds talks with regional leaders about the conflict in South Sudan late on Monday. Warring factions have ignored pressure to end fighting, and talks may consider possible sanctions if an mid-August deadline is not met. Obama’s tour has taken in Kenya, the birthplace of his father, and he was keen to press the new opportunities business can bring to its people.

Africa is on the move. Africa is one of the fastest growing regions in the world.

U.S. President Barack Obama

Obama Ethiopia Africa