U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is headed to Ethiopia for security talks with regional officials and to attend a 50th anniversary celebration for the African Union.
Kerry's three-day visit begins Friday in Addis Ababa, where the State Department says he will meet with senior Ethiopian officials to discuss "bilateral issues."
On Saturday, he will join African leaders and other foreign dignitaries at an AU summit that will celebrate 50 years of the pan-African organization, which used to be referred to as the Organization of African Unity.
Kerry's visit is expected to include talks on efforts to battle Islamist extremists in countries such as Mali and northern Nigeria.