General News of Thursday, 30 March 2023

Source: GNA

Kamala Harris ends historic visit to Ghana, arrives in Tanzania on second leg of Africa tour

Kamala Harris with Tanzania VP Philip Mpango Kamala Harris with Tanzania VP Philip Mpango

At exactly 1400 hours, Kamala Harris, US Vice-President on-board Air Force Two, with number 90004, left Ghana Wednesday afternoon after her three-day working visit. 

This is after an engagement with some women entrepreneurs, where she pledged US continued support to their economic growth and announced the establishment of a $60 million Women in Digital Economy Fund. 

The Air Force Two, a specially configured C-32 version of the Boeing 757-200 has since arrived in Tanzania, where Ms Harris will spend two days before ending her weeklong African trip in Zambia. 

Harris becomes the latest top US government official to visit Africa, following similar journeys by Treasury Secretary, Janet Yellen and Secretary of State, Antony Blinken. 

Her visit to the three African countries is to rejuvenate America’s ties with Africa centred on openness, inclusiveness, candour, shared interests, and shared benefits.  

Her departure was graced by Ghana’s Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Dominic Nitiwul, Defence Minister and Henry Quartey, Greater Accra Regional Minister.  

An entourage from the US Embassy in Ghana, led by the Ambassador, Virginia Evelyn Palmer, was also there to see her off. 

During her three-day visit to Ghana, she met with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and had a State banquet in her honour.

Harris on Tuesday inspired some Ghanaian youth in a speech at the Black Star Square and called on the Government to support women more to increase their contribution to economic growth.  

She visited the Central Region, Ghana’s first regional capital, where she toured dungeons of the Cape Coast Castle – a memorable monument of slave trade.

Ms Harris and her husband, Douglas Emhoff, exchanged pleasantries with Ghanaian authorities at the Airport and waved at them while standing at the entrance of the blue and white airplane with a red strip in the middle and an American flag at its tail (horizontal stabilizer).