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US Secretary of State Heads to Africa on Four-Nation Tour. Al Jazeera reports that United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken has opened a four-country tour of Africa meant to deepen relations with the continent. Blinken will visit four Atlantic Coast democracies: Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Angola. The visit comes amid deteriorating security conditions in the Sahel and growing doubts regarding a U.S. base in Niger, where a coup is underway. Blinken stressed the Biden administration's commitment to the continent, saying: "We are all in when it comes to Africa." "Our futures are linked, our prosperity is linked, and African voices increasingly are shaping, animating and leading the global conversation." "The United States is committed to deepening, strengthening and broadening partnerships across Africa." Antony Blinken, United States Secretary of State, via Al Jazeera. Blinken will next head to Ivory Coast where he will attend the Africa Cup of Nations to watch the host country compete against Equatorial Guinea. Al Jazeera reports that Russia and China have also looked to rapidly expand their influence across Africa recently. In recent years, China has contributed massive loans for infrastructure projects across various parts of the African continent. At the same time, Russia's Wagner Group of mercenaries have allegedly been deployed in Mali, the Central African Republic and Burkina Faso. THIS VIDEO MUST NOT BE EDITED FOR LENGTH TO COMBINE WITH OTHER CONTENT