Beginning today, U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) will travel to several countries in Africa as part of a bipartisan congressional delegation trip to explore ways that the U.S. and Africa can expand economic development opportunities.
On the trip, Sen. Franken will be visiting Senegal, Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Gabon, with a brief stop in Cabo Verde. In Ethiopia, he is scheduled to discuss the plight of the Oromo people, and is also planning to meet with Somali refugees to talk about humanitarian issues.
"With Minnesota being home to so many vibrant African immigrant communities, collaborating with these countries could help support many Minnesota industries--including our agricultural and energy sectors--and would help us build bilateral trade relations," said Sen. Franken. "Beyond that, this bipartisan trip is particularly important to me because I'm planning to meet with Somali refugees and also discuss the crisis facing the Oromo people, which are both things that many families in our state deeply care about."
During the trip, Sen. Franken will be visiting renewable energy projects, agriculture projects, and health care facilities. He's also going to seek to build bilateral trade relationships. The trip is being organized by Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.). Sen. Franken will be joined on the trip by Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas), and several other members of Congress.