The Reason American Presidents Keep Visiting The Same Cew African Countries

Melania Trump has just concluded her trip to Africa, her first major solo international swing as US first lady. In her choice of nations to visit - Ghana, Malawi, Kenya, and Egypt - she followed in the footsteps of not just former first ladies but also American presidents.

Franklin D. Roosevelt was the first US president to set foot in Africa, landing in Bathurst in British Gambia in 1943. Roosevelt was on his way to Casablanca in Morocco to strategize on the course the allied forces would take in fighting World War II and demanding the “unconditional surrender” of their enemies. Given that Nazi U-boats prowled the Atlantic, Roosevelt couldn’t travel on a ship and thus became the first US president to travel on official business by airplane.

The Reason American Presidents Keep Visiting The Same Cew African Countries

Since then, eight other American presidents have visited the continent, both for a brief disembarking from a plane or a full-on state visit. George W. Bush is top on this list, having toured 11 statesacross Africa according to the Office of the Historian at the US Department of State. Bill Clinton visited 10 nations as president, while Obama went to nine.