Trump administration’s words, deeds on Africa are colliding

NAIROBI NATIONAL PARK, KENYA » On the outskirts of a sprawling reserve of Kenyan grasslands where endangered animals roam wild, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson lavished praise on an American-funded forensics lab that tracks down elephant-poachers for prosecution and urged aggressive action in Africa on conservation.

Tillerson agreed Sunday when famed conservationist Richard Leakey warned that the “huge interest” in wildlife products such as elephant and rhinoceros parts was fueling the international trafficking trade.

Yet earlier this month, the Trump administration quietly lifted the U.S. ban on importing African elephant trophies.

U.S. words and deeds are colliding as Tillerson travels across Africa.

On trade policy, HIV/AIDS and humanitarian aid, the United States at times seems at odds with itself, muddying efforts to show it wants the continent to flourish and is here to help.