U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton (L) meets with Malawi’s President Joyce Banda in Lilongwe, Malawi, August. 5, 2012.
NAIROBI — U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited with Malawian President Joyce Banda in Lilongwe, in what is seen as a vote of confidence in the president. The visit follows restoration of U.S. aid to Malawi.
Clinton praised Banda for introducing reforms that have helped reinvigorate the economy of the impoverished southern African nation.
Banda, Malawi's first woman president, welcomed Clinton, saying they had both long been women and children activists and she had been waiting for the day when they would meet.
“One would assume that probably this is a vote of confidence in the way Madame Joyce Banda has so far carried out the duties of her office,” noted Catholic University of Malawi political science lecturer Vincent Kondowe.
Relations have improved between the United States and Malawi since Banda took office in April, following the sudden death of her predecessor Bingu wa Mutharika.
In June, the U.S. development agency (USAID) said it was restoring $350 million in aid to Malawi that had been frozen last year because of concerns about President Mutharika's rights records, citing a violent crackdown on opposition protesters.
Photo Gallery: Hillary Clinton in Africa
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Visits Africa
1/16Secretary of State Hillary Clinton greets Kofi Annan and his wife Nane Lagergren at the funeral of Ghana President John Atta Mills, in Accra, Ghana, August 10, 2012.
Clinton arrived in Africa on July 31, 2012, beginning a trip taking her both to Africa's newest nation South Sudan and on a private visit to elder statesman, Nelson Mandela, 94.
2/16U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, left, meets with Ghana's President John Dramani Mahama, at his residence in Accra, Ghana, August 9, 2012.
Clinton arrived in Africa on July 31, 2012, beginning a trip taking her both to Africa's newest nation South Sudan and on a private visit to elder statesman, Nelson Mandela, 94.
3/16U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at a clinic at Delft township on the outskirts of Cape Town, South Africa, August 8, 2012.
Clinton arrived in Africa on July 31, 2012, beginning a trip taking her both to Africa's newest nation South Sudan and on a private visit to elder statesman, Nelson Mandela, 94.
4/16South Africa's Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi, left, and Hillary Clinton visit the Delft South Clinic in Delft South, a suburb of Cape Town, South Africa, August 8, 2012.
Clinton arrived in Africa on July 31, 2012, beginning a trip taking her both to Africa's newest nation South Sudan and on a private visit to elder statesman, Nelson Mandela, 94.
5/16Hillary Clinton meets with former South Africa President Nelson Mandela and his wife Graca Machel at his home in Qunu, South Africa, August 6, 2012.
Clinton arrived in Africa on July 31, 2012, beginning a trip taking her both to Africa's newest nation South Sudan and on a private visit to elder statesman, Nelson Mandela, 94.
6/16Hillary Clinton and South Africa's Foreign Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane see a rare snow flurry as they leave business meetings in Pretoria, South Africa, August 7, 2012.
Clinton arrived in Africa on July 31, 2012, beginning a trip taking her both to Africa's newest nation South Sudan and on a private visit to elder statesman, Nelson Mandela, 94.
7/16Hillary Clinton walks out with African Union Chair-Designate Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma after their meeting at Brynterion Estate in Pretoria, South Africa, August 7, 2012.
Clinton arrived in Africa on July 31, 2012, beginning a trip taking her both to Africa's newest nation South Sudan and on a private visit to elder statesman, Nelson Mandela, 94.
8/16Hillary Clinton dances with Emille Phiri, chair of the Lumbadzi Milk Bulking Group, Lilongwe, Malawi, August 5, 2012.
Clinton arrived in Africa on July 31, 2012, beginning a trip taking her both to Africa's newest nation South Sudan and on a private visit to elder statesman, Nelson Mandela, 94.
9/16Hillary Clinton meets with Malawi's President Joyce Banda at the State House in Lilongwe, Malawi, August 5, 2012.
Clinton arrived in Africa on July 31, 2012, beginning a trip taking her both to Africa's newest nation South Sudan and on a private visit to elder statesman, Nelson Mandela, 94.
10/16Kenya's President Mwai Kibaki, with Hillary Clinton (R) and his vice president Kalonzo Musyoka (L), leaves after a meeting at State House in Nairobi August 4, 2012.
Clinton arrived in Africa on July 31, 2012, beginning a trip taking her both to Africa's newest nation South Sudan and on a private visit to elder statesman, Nelson Mandela, 94.
11/16Hillary Clinton is met by Uganda's Foreign Affairs Minister Okello Oryem upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport, August 3, 2012.
Clinton arrived in Africa on July 31, 2012, beginning a trip taking her both to Africa's newest nation South Sudan and on a private visit to elder statesman, Nelson Mandela, 94.
12/16Hillary Clinton shakes hands with Bishop Elias Taban in Juba August 3, 2012.
Clinton arrived in Africa on July 31, 2012, beginning a trip taking her both to Africa's newest nation South Sudan and on a private visit to elder statesman, Nelson Mandela, 94.
13/16Hillary Clinton meets with South Sudan President Salva Kiir, August 3, 2012, at the Presidential Office Building in Juba.
Clinton arrived in Africa on July 31, 2012, beginning a trip taking her both to Africa's newest nation South Sudan and on a private visit to elder statesman, Nelson Mandela, 94.
14/16Participants in coordinated colors take part in Taiwan's National Day celebrations in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei. This year marks the 102nd anniversary of the founding of the Republic of China.
Clinton arrived in Africa on July 31, 2012, beginning a trip taking her both to Africa's newest nation South Sudan and on a private visit to elder statesman, Nelson Mandela, 94.
15/16Hillary Clinton shakes hands with staff from the U.S. Embassy in Dakar, August 1, 2012.
Clinton arrived in Africa on July 31, 2012, beginning a trip taking her both to Africa's newest nation South Sudan and on a private visit to elder statesman, Nelson Mandela, 94.
16/16The shadow of Hillary Clinton on a Senegalese flag before she spoke at the University of Cheikh Anta Diop in Dakar, Senegal, August 1, 2012.
Clinton arrived in Africa on July 31, 2012, beginning a trip taking her both to Africa's newest nation South Sudan and on a private visit to elder statesman, Nelson Mandela, 94.
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Banda has tried to clean up Malawi's rights and governance record in a concerted attempt to regain the trust of international donors and to bring more development to country.
Kondowe says the strategy appears to have worked.
"Basically when one looks back at the way the late president conducted himself from 2009, maybe we should assume that probably we should see more aid packages, more political efforts in terms of transfer of resource from the American government to the Malawian people," he said.
Clinton is due to fly to South Africa Sunday, and later on to Nigeria, Ghana and Benin.
In Ghana, she is expected to attend the state funeral of the country's late president John Atta Mills.
Reporting contributed by Lameck Masina in Blantyre, Malawi.
