Clinton to visit 7 African nations

WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton plans to travel to Africa next week on a seven-nation tour aimed at highlighting the Obama administration's commitment to the continent.

Clinton is to begin her trip on August 5 in Kenya, the State Department said yesterday. She will lead a forum on development as part of the African Growth and Opportunity Act, legislation passed during the Bush administration that was intended to spur trade between the US and African nations.

He Wenping, an analyst at the Institute of West Asian and African Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), said Clinton's visit serves Washington's goal of keeping Africa within its "sphere of influence".