His visit comes as Washington scales up diplomacy to counter Russian influence on the continent and follows hot on the heels of an extensive tour of Africa by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

For his first stop, the US top diplomat chose South Africa, a leader in the developing world, which has remained neutral in the Ukraine war, refusing to join Western calls to condemn Moscow, which had opposed apartheid before the end of white minority rule in 1994.

Our relationships across the African continent are absolutely central to meeting global challenges. That's why I'm on a trip to South Africa, the DRC, and Rwanda. We're strengthening our partnerships to build a better future for our people. https://t.co/qjTwWXK5Ao

— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) August 7, 2022

Blinken laid a wreath and toured the Hector Pieterson Museum, built in memory of students killed in a 1976 protest which became one of the watersheds in the anti-apartheid movement.

It was named after the 12-year-old boy who was the first to be shot and killed by police on June 16, 1976.

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