Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday pledged more than $100 million in U.S. assistance to Ghana and stressed that U.S. interests in African nations extend beyond competing with China, on the first full day of her weeklong tour of the continent.

Harris said Monday that the U.S. will commit more than $139 million in assistance, most of which will support conflict prevention in the Sahel region, where Islamist extremists have expanded their footprint.

She spoke Monday at Jubilee House, seat of Ghana's presidency, alongside Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo.

"To help address the threats of violent extremism and instability, today I am pleased to announce $100 million in support of Benin, Ghana, Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire and Togo," she said. "Last week, President Joe Biden announced a strategic plan for coastal West Africa as part of the United States Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability. Today, funding and the announcement that I've just made will help implement that plan and will address security, governance and development issues in the region."

Harris is the fifth top U.S. official to visit the continent this year, and she deflected criticism that the U.S. sees African nations through the lens of its own competition with China, which has built massive infrastructure projects and loaned billions of dollars to African nations in what many see as a fight for influence and access.

Harris also toured some of Accra's vibrant arts scene, visiting a skateboard park and recording studio. Tagging along for the ride was actor Idris Elba, who spoke to journalists.

"I think this is a great, significant signal for the VP to come to Ghana, to come to Africa and be that interface and, you know, to show the rest of the world that actually it's a fantastic place to sort of look at in terms of partnership and investment," he said.

Harris plans to spend another full day in the West African nation before continuing east, to Tanzania, and then south, to Zambia. [VOA/JS]