US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has begun a four-nation tour of the continent in Cape Verde, where he praised the island nation, calling it “truly a beacon of stability in the region, at a time when there's more of our share of instability and challenge”.

Mr Blinken will also be going to Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Angola.

US President Joe Biden had tried to burnish his credentials when it came to his interest in the continent when hosting African leaders at the US-Africa summit in 2022.

It was there that he promised to visit Africa in 2023 – but the trip never materialised.

Mr Blinken, who last visited the continent in March last year, has recently had his hands full with the conflict in the Middle East.

But, quoting President Biden, he told his audience in Cape Verde that “we are all in when it comes to Africa", the AFP news agency reports.

"Our futures are linked, our prosperity is linked, and African voices increasingly are shaping, animating and leading the global conversation," he added.