SOUTH AFRICA: U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama arrives in South Africa on second solo trip

Record ID: 453872

  • Title: SOUTH AFRICA: U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama arrives in South Africa on second solo trip
  • Date: 21st June 2011
  • Summary: WATERKLOOF AIRFORCE BASE, PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA (JUNE 20, 2011) (REUTERS) +++AUDIO AS INCOMING+++ VARIOUS OF THE PLANE TAXIING ON THE TARMAC US FIRST LADY MICHELLE OBAMA AND CHILDREN, SASHA AND MALIA, WALKING DOWN THE STAIRS AND BEING GREETED BY SOUTH AFRICAN CORRECTIONAL SERVICES MINISTER NOSIVIWE MAPISA-NQAKULA MICHELLE OBAMA SHAKING HANDS WITH OTHER GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS MICHELLE OBAMA'S CHILDREN BEING GIVEN A SOUTH AFRICAN BLANKET MICHELLE OBAMA AND HER CHILDREN GETTING INTO THE CAR CONVOY DEPARTING
  • Embargoed: 6th July 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: South Africa, South Africa
  • Country: South Africa
  • Topics: International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAEGI321NTQN1CQ1ZIJCTTE9L0P
  • Story Text: U.S. first lady Michelle Obama arrived in South Africa on Monday (June 20) on her second official solo journey abroad with a goal of advancing U.S. policies on education, health, and democracy.
    The first lady arrived at a military airport in South Africa's capital Pretoria, shortly before 1930 GMT. She was welcomed by U.S. ambassador Donald Gips and his family.
    She is joined on this trip by her two daughters, Sasha and Malia, two of their cousins and Mrs Obama's mother. The girls were given large blankets with colours of the South African flag to wrap up in as they got off the plane.
    The first lady will make stops in Johannesburg and Cape Town and later in the week visit Botswana.
    As the wife of the first black U.S. president, Mrs. Obama's arrival on the continent is more symbolic than previous first ladies' trips there have been.
    In South Africa she will meet Graca Machel, the wife of former South African President Nelson Mandela. She will also visit the island where Mandela was imprisoned under apartheid and Soweto -- South Africa's biggest black township and site of bitter battles with apartheid police in the 70s and 80s.
    In Botswana she will meet with President Ian Khama and women leaders. She will also see a nature reserve.
    Her trip comes as the United States starts gearing up for the 2012 presidential election, when her husband, President Barack Obama, hopes to hold on to the White House. Pictures of Mrs. Obama in Africa could appear in the campaign to appeal to black voters, a critical voting bloc for Obama's Democrats.
    White House officials said her visit would advance her husband's foreign policy goals. The first lady's previous official solo sojourn abroad was to Mexico.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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