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Biden’s Visit to Angola: A Focus on History, Economic Hope, and Competition with China in Africa

In Citizen
December 03, 2024

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During his final overseas trip in office, President Biden will visit Angola to focus on the country’s history and economic potential. The president plans to tour a slavery museum and highlight a rail corridor that is part of his administration’s efforts in the region.

By Zolan Kanno-Youngs

Zolan Kanno-Youngs, a journalist who reports on the White House, will be accompanying President Biden on Air Force One for a trip to Angola.

President Biden will start his planned trip to Africa on Sunday evening by traveling to Angola. The purpose of the visit is to recognize the difficult past between the two countries and to commit to a future of economic support and development.

The visit by President Biden to Africa is the initial one made by a US president since Barack Obama’s visit to Kenya and Ethiopia in 2015.

Mr. Biden is currently on his final overseas trip as President, after promising in 2022 to visit Africa to show support for its future. Despite some delays, he is now in Angola for a three-day diplomatic visit. During his time there, he will tour a slavery museum and highlight a rail corridor that showcases his administration’s economic plans for the region.

A project called the Lobito Corridor, with a budget of $1 billion, aims to connect Angola with Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. These countries are abundant in essential minerals needed for batteries in smartphones and electric vehicles. President Biden is emphasizing this project to strengthen American efforts in accessing these crucial resources in Africa, in order to counter China’s increasing influence on the continent.

According to foreign policy experts, even though the Biden administration has made efforts to improve relations, the United States is still falling behind China and Russia in terms of economic and security influence in Africa.

Tibor P. Nagy Jr., a former ambassador to Africa appointed by both President Bill Clinton and the Trump administration, pointed out that since disengaging with post-colonial Africa, it has been given very little importance by the United States. He criticized administrations for creating ambitious African strategies that lack substance and fail to deliver on their promises.

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