London, May 29, SPA -- Outgoing British Prime Minister Tony Blair left todayfor a five-day "farewell trip" to Africa which will take him to Libya, Sierra Leone and South Africa, his office said. According to the dpa, Blair, who is due to step down from office on June 27, isscheduled to meet Libyan President Moamer Gaddafi on his first stop. In 2004, Blair became the first British leader in 60 years tovisit Libya. Afterwards Blair will travel to Sierra Leone, where he can expecta warm welcome due to Britain's deployment of troops in 2000, a movecredited with hastening the end of a lengthy civil war in the WestAfrican state. During his two-day stay in South Africa on Thursday and Friday,Blair will hold talks with President Thabo Mbeki and deliver a majorpolicy speech on Africa - a central theme of Blair's premiership inthe last few years. A spokesman for Blair said all three countries illustrated, indifferent ways, the benefits of of Blair's "values-driven foreignpolicy engagement in Africa."-- SPA www.spa.gov.sa/454098