Blinken starts Africa tour to counter Russian influence

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken landed in South Africa yesterday, kicking off a three-nation African visit as Washington scales up diplomacy to counter Russian influence on the continent. His visit comes after an extensive tour of Africa by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov late last month. South Africa, a leader in the developing world, has remained neutral in the Ukraine war, refusing to join Western calls to condemn Moscow. Blinken will make a policy announcement today on the US government's new Africa strategy, Pretoria said in a statement.