Liberia’s president is set to speak on Capitol Hill later this month, marking her first visit to Washington since she declared a state of emergency to deal with the Ebola outbreak that gripped West Africa last summer.
Sen. Chris Coons, Delaware Democrat, said President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf will speak Feb. 26 at the U.S. Institute of Peace amid three days of meetings with the Obama administration and congressional leaders.
She is expected to offer thanks for U.S. assistance during the Ebola outbreak, which is winding down in her country yet still poses a deadly threat.
President Obama committed financial aid and 2,800 troops to Liberia last year, although only 100 troops will remain by the end of April.
Last week, Mr. Obama marked the next phase in the Ebola fight by hailing nurses, officers and aid workers who went to the front lines of the outbreak.
He also urged the global community to aid recovery efforts in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, where the virus has killed more than 3,900.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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