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During his final overseas trip in office, President Biden will be visiting Angola to focus on both historical and economic aspects. He will visit a museum dedicated to slavery and highlight a rail corridor that aligns with his administration’s regional strategy.
Written by Zolan Kanno-Youngs.
Zolan Kanno-Youngs reports on the White House and is scheduled to accompany President Biden on Air Force One to Angola.
President Biden is scheduled to start his long-awaited trip to Africa on Sunday night by heading to Angola. The purpose of this visit is to recognize the difficult history between the two countries and to pledge to a future of financial support and development.
President Biden’s visit to Africa is the initial one undertaken by a US president since Barack Obama journeyed to Kenya and Ethiopia in 2015.
Mr. Biden is making what is expected to be his final trip abroad during his presidency, following his promise in 2022 to visit Africa to show the United States’ commitment to the continent’s future. Despite some setbacks, Mr. Biden is currently on a three-day diplomatic visit to Angola. During his visit, he plans to tour a slavery museum and highlight a rail corridor that his team views as a key aspect of his administration’s economic approach in the region.
A major project called the Lobito Corridor, costing $1 billion, aims to connect Angola with Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. These countries are known for their reserves of important minerals used in smartphone and electric vehicle batteries. President Biden is promoting this project to strengthen American access to these resources in Africa and to counter China’s increasing influence in the region.
Foreign policy experts believe that despite the efforts of the Biden administration to foster positive relationships, the United States is still falling behind China and Russia in vying for economic and security power in Africa.
Tibor P. Nagy Jr., who has served as an ambassador in Africa under both President Bill Clinton and the Trump administration as assistant secretary of state for African affairs, stated that since disengaging with post-colonial Africa, it has been given very little attention. Some administrations have made ambitious African strategies, but often lack substance and tangible results. Nagy compared it to the old advertisement asking, "Where is the beef?" indicating a lack of real substance or action.
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