Ilhan Omar launches new foreign affairs group as GOP seeks to oust her from committee

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) is preparing to launch a new foreign affairs working group focused on addressing crises in Africa, even as the Minnesota Democrat faces threats of removal from her committee assignments in the GOP-led House.

Omar announced the creation of the U. S.-Africa Policy Working Group on Tuesday, which will seek to create a partnership between experts and policymakers in Africa to understand how the continent is affected by U.S. policies. The group will focus on scheduling bipartisan briefings with Biden administration officials, nongovernmental agencies, and other experts to tackle a variety of issues.

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“In order to have a sustainable, growing, and egalitarian African continent, we must find solutions on the continent — whether it is in agricultural productivity, infrastructure, democratic governance, combating extremism, or tackling the climate crisis,” Omar said in a statement. “Our role must be as partners with the movements and civil society groups acting on the ground. For far too long, the United States has treated Africa as a threat that needed to be contained, a series of fires that needed to be put out, or a junior partner that needed to be disciplined.”

Group members will be tasked with responding to a number of urgent crises in Africa, including conflicts in Ethiopia as well as the governmental instability in West Africa. U. S. officials will also work directly with African leaders to understand the continent’s perspective on some of the world’s greatest challenges, such as the war in Ukraine or climate change.... (Read more)

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