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During his final overseas trip in office, President Biden will visit Angola to explore the country’s history and economic prospects. He plans to visit a slavery museum and highlight a rail corridor that aligns with his administration’s regional strategy.
Written by Zolan Kanno-Youngs
Zolan Kanno-Youngs is a journalist who reports on the White House and will be accompanying President Biden on Air Force One for his trip to Angola.
On Sunday night, President Biden will start his planned journey to Africa by visiting Angola. The purpose of the trip is to recognize the difficult history between the two countries and to pledge to a future of economic development through investments.
The journey to Africa taken by Mr. Biden marks the first time an American president has visited the continent since Barack Obama went to Kenya and Ethiopia in 2015.
Mr. Biden’s visit to Africa is likely his final overseas trip as President. He promised in 2022 to visit the continent to show the United States’ commitment to Africa’s future. Despite some delays, Mr. Biden is now on a three-day diplomatic tour of Angola. During his visit, he will tour a slavery museum and highlight a rail corridor that his team sees as a key part of his administration’s economic strategy in the region.
A project called the Lobito Corridor, costing $1 billion, aims to connect Angola with Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. These countries are abundant in essential minerals needed for making batteries for smartphones and electric vehicles. President Biden is emphasizing this project to strengthen American access to these vital resources in Africa and to counter China’s increasing influence on the continent.
Even though the Biden administration has made efforts to strengthen relationships, the United States is still not as competitive as China and Russia in terms of economic and security influence in Africa, as stated by experts in foreign policy.
Tibor P. Nagy Jr., who has served as an ambassador in Africa appointed by both President Bill Clinton and the Trump administration as assistant secretary of state for African affairs, expressed that since disengaging with post-colonial Africa, it has been a neglected priority. He criticized administrations for creating ambitious African strategies that lack substance, comparing it to the phrase "Where is the beef?" from an old advertisement.
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