Pretoria - The US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is using her seven-nation African tour to reaffirm the strategies of US diplomacy in Africa.
Clinton has pointed out that her country would like to promote development, stimulate economic growth and commercial exchanges, advance peace and security and consolidate democratic institutions on the African continent.
In a speech delivered at Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar, Senegal, Clinton lamented that despite the peaceful transitions and frequent elections in several African countries, many continued to violate human rights and did not respect the rule of law.
She, however, used her address to hail the Senegalese democracy after the second peaceful handover of power in the month of April, with the election of President Macky Sall.
"If there was any doubt that democracy could thrive in Africa, Senegal has demonstrated that it's possible. The US is proud of Senegal, a country which has never experienced a coup d'etat. Thank you Senegal for being a model for the region," she said.
The secretary of state left Dakar on Thursday to visit South Sudan. She will also visit Uganda, Kenya, Malawi, South Sudan, Ghana and South Africa.
In South Africa, she is expected to attend the second meeting of the South Africa-United States Strategic Dialogue with International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane.
Their meeting on Tuesday will discuss a "range of issues of mutual interest".
Bilateral relations between the two countries are strong, especially with the US administration's interest in partnering with South Africa domestically and regionally.
