Haley told reporters she hoped this was the beginning of "a stronger relationship with the AU and our African partners," following a meeting with Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn on Monday.

"The United States very much sees Africa as a very important part of the world. We see great opportunities in Africa, we see challenges in Africa, but we want to support and help in those situations.

Haley also plans to take a critical look at the UN peacekeeping missions in South Sudan and the DRC, both of which are among the biggest missions in the world.

The operation in DRC, for instance, costs $1.14 billion (970 million euros).

The US pays a large a portion of the UN peacekeeping budget.

UN funding cuts?

Both the Trump administration and Haley in particular have been known to speak out against what they see as the inefficiency of the UN. In an op-ed published by CNN shortly before her trip, Haley lauded the UN for its efforts to avert a full blown famine in South Sudan.

However, she wrote: "The UN's track record of long-term success is not good. Neither South Sudan nor the DRC has shown any real progress toward political solutions that would stop the violence." 

In June this year, Haley tweeted about a budget proposal to cut funding to the UN by $500 million (425 million euros). She was heavily criticized for the proposal.

DW