Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Phee meets with Ghana Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia in Accra Oct. 18, 2021.
By Gary Raynaldo DIPLOMATIC TIMES
Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Phee embarked on her first trip to Africa this week as Assistant Secretary. Phee was sworn in as ambassador in her new post September 28. Ambassador Phee began her travel in Ghana, where she met with Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, senior government officials and civil society representatives. She will then travel to Burkina Faso. “The Assistant Secretary will reaffirm our strategic partnership and explore cooperation to advance shared global priorities, including ending the COVID-19 pandemic, expanding U.S.-Ghana trade and investment, addressing the climate crisis, creating opportunities for clean energy, and strengthening democracy in West Africa, through Ghana’s leadership as Chair of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS),” according to the Department of State.
I was honored to meet with representatives of Ghana’s civil society today. These individuals are working day in and day out to advance inclusive economic growth, accountable governance, human rights, and security in their communities. pic.twitter.com/JzTNIyhQrO
— Bureau of African Affairs (@AsstSecStateAF) October 18, 2021
I greatly appreciated the opportunity to meet Ghana Vice President @MBawumia today. We discussed our shared goals: strong democracy, inclusive economic growth, and regional security.
🇺🇸🤝🇬🇭 pic.twitter.com/A76BZQuSNb— Bureau of African Affairs (@AsstSecStateAF) October 18, 2021
“No time to waste, I am thrilled to be on my way back to the continent, this time visiting our strategic partners in Ghana and Burkina Faso. I look forward to future travel to move forward shared priorities with our many African partners.” -Ambassador Phee.
Molly Catherine Phee, a career diplomat, is President Biden’s U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs. (Credit USIP.org)
Diplomat Phee was most recently the Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation. Prior to this, Phee served as U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of South Sudan from 2015-2017 under President Obama. Earlier in her career, Phee served as Director for Iraq at the National Security Council and as Senior Civilian Representative of the Coalition Provisional Authority to Maysan Province, Iraq. She began her career in Amman, Jordan and also worked at U.S. Embassies in Cairo, Egypt and Kuwait City, Kuwait. Ambassador Phee will have her diplomatic plate full in Africa amid multiple crisis there including the war in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, surging terrorism in the Sahel and Horn of Africa, and last month’s military coup in Guinea.
