ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Justin Trudeau has landed in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where he will be the first Canadian prime minister to take part in a session of the African Union.

The eight-day trip, which will include an official visit to Senegal, is designed largely to woo support from African nations as Canada tries to secure a seat on the United Nations Security Council in June.

The Liberal government is also looking to strengthen its relationship with the continent, which is home to more than one billion people and countries with some of the world’s fastest-growing economies.

Trudeau is starting his trip in Ethiopia, which is the headquarters of the African Union.

He intends to meet with a number of African leaders on the margins of the gathering, including Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, and attend discussions on gender equality and the environment.

African scholars and Canadian foreign affairs experts say this trip needs to be about a lot more than the UN vote or it will fail.

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