afrol News, 26 January - The US Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs, María Otero, is on a week-long visits to East Africa to address human security issues.

Ms Otero’s visit which started yesterday and will end on 1 February, is aimed at engaging with governments and civil society on an array of global issues that address human security - from political and economic security to water, health and environmental security, the state department explained.

She begins her trip in Kenya from 26-28 January to visit refugee camps in the Dadaab region near the Somali border. She will also meet with government leaders and civil society groups addressing human rights, human trafficking and the environment. On Thursday, 28 January, Under Secretary Otero will hold a Town Hall meeting on youth and technology at Kenya Polytechnic University.

From Kenya, Ms Otero will travel to Kampala, Uganda on 28 January where she will hold bilateral meetings and participate in a roundtable discussion with human rights activists.

The East Africa trip will culminate with the Under Secretary leading the US delegation to the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa. She will meet with senior officials from across the continent, and hold numerous roundtable discussions with women entrepreneurs, democracy organisations, and water experts.

The US delegation includes Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Johnny Carson, Special Envoy to Sudan Major General Jonathan Scott Gration, USAID Acting Administrator for Africa Earl Gast, Ambassador of the United States Mission to the African Union Michael Battle, and other key White House and interagency officials.

As Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs, Ms Otero oversees the bureaus of Population, Refugee and Migration; Democracy, Human Rights and Labor; Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs; and the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons. She also serves as the Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues.

By staff writer

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