UN chief to visit Horn of Africa

UN chief Ban Ki-moon will travel to Ethiopia, Djibouti and Kenya next week, leading a delegation from six other international organizations to the volatile Horn of Africa region.

The secretary-general will be joined by World Bank president Jim Yong Kim and by officials from the African Union, the European Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the African Development Bank and the Islamic Development Bank, a UN statement said Friday.

While in Nairobi, Ban will also launch a global campaign to end female genital mutilation.

This is the third trip that Ban has undertaken with the World Bank and other organizations, following visits to the Sahel and Great Lakes regions last year.

The visit comes amid efforts to end fighting in South Sudan that has sent nearly half a million refugees fleeing into neighboring countries.