Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Phee will travel to Nigeria, Chad, and Ghana from August 25-29, 2023. During this trip, she will engage with regional heads of state to discuss U.S. support for ECOWAS and regional leadership in responding to the crisis in Niger. In Chad, she will review ongoing developments with neighbors, Niger and Sudan, as well as Chad’s political transition. In all her conversations, she will raise the shared goals of preserving Niger’s hard-earned democracy and achieving the immediate release of President Bazoum, his family, and those members of his government unjustly detained. Assistant Secretary Phee is also consulting with senior officials in Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Senegal, and Togo, emphasizing U.S. support for the principled stand taken by ECOWAS in defense of democracy and constitutional order.