Who is Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the new US Ambassador to the UN?
On February 25, 2021, in New York, before UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Linda Thomas-Greenfield signed her credentials as the new U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.
Afrique54.net – African-American and career diplomat, Linda Thomas-Greenfield has been confirmed in this position by the U.S. Senate. At the age of 68, she was chosen by President Joe Biden as the country’s Ambassador to the United Nations.
One month after her Senate hearing, she was confirmed on Tuesday, February 23, 2021 by a vote of 78 to 20. On Thursday, February 25, 2021, she proceeded to sign her credentials before the UN Secretary General as U.S. Ambassador to the UN.
A diplomat specializing in African history
This diplomat specialist in African history will sit on the Security Council whose agenda is composed of 90% of African issues. Linda Thomas-Greenfield worked in humanitarian aid in Rwanda. Subsequently, she served as Ambassador to Liberia and Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs under the administration of Barack Obama. Joe Biden chose her for this position. This choice shows the attention that his administration will pay to the continent. One of her battle-horses, she assured him, will be to increase the influence of the U.S. in Africa.
The Chinese question in Africa and the return of the United States in the UN institutions
Its mission is to closely monitor the Chinese investment strategy in Africa. In view of Beijing’s stranglehold on the continent, it considers the record of China-Africa relations to be lackluster. For her, African states are dirty water with China. This situation is manifested by the unease of the populations in the face of Chinese workers who do not integrate and, above all, the infrastructures built are of poor quality. She wants Africa to be an alternative available to the United States.
In New York, diplomats welcomed the news of her arrival. Linda Thomas-Greenfield also announced the return of the United States to the UN institutions left under the Trump administration. Finally, she assured that Washington, the main contributor to the UN budget, would pay its arrears which amount to more than 03 billion dollars.
Biography
Linda Thomas-Greenfield was born in 1952 in Baker, Louisiana. She received her bachelor’s degree from Louisiana State University, followed by a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Wisconsin at Madison.
A diplomat specializing in African history and a member of the Democratic Party, she successively held the positions of Assistant Under Secretary for Population, Refugees and Migration between 2004 and 2006.
From 2006 to 2012, she served as U.S. Ambassador to Liberia. She served as Director General of the U.S. Foreign Service from 2012 to 2013, and then as Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs from 2013 to 2017, when she was removed by the Trump administration.
Afrique54.net with A5 NEWS
