U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is headed to Africa next week to discuss regional peace and security. From Washington, VOA's Margaret Besheer has a preview of her trip.

Condoleezza Rice, 22 Oct 2007

During her visit she will meet with regional heads of state and ministers to discuss the African Great Lakes, Sudan and Somalia.

Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer says the meeting on Somalia will include that country's president and new prime minister, as well as ministers from Uganda, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Sudan and possibly Kenya, as well as the African Union chairman and the U.N. Special Representative for Somalia.

US Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer (file photo)

The secretary's meeting on Sudan will aim to continue the U.S. focus on the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed between the Sudanese government and the Sudan's People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) in 2005.

"We want to consult on how to move the process forward or to get the CPA back on track," said Frazer.

The SPLM withdrew from the unity government last month, saying the Sudanese government had not been implementing the peace agreement that ended Sudan's two-decade long north-south civil war.

While in Addis Ababa, Secretary Rice will also hold bilateral meetings with the Ethiopian government.

Following her stop in Africa, the Secretary will travel to Brussels for a NATO foreign ministers meeting on Thursday.