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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 plans to visit a slavery museum and highlight a rail corridor that plays a key role in his administration’s regional strategy.
Written by Zolan Kanno-Youngs
Zolan Kanno-Youngs reports on news from the White House and will be accompanying President Biden on Air Force One for a trip to Angola.
President Biden will start his long-awaited trip to Africa on Sunday evening by visiting Angola. The purpose of the visit is to recognize the difficult history between the two countries and to pledge to focus on economic development in the future.
This marks the first time a U.S. president has visited Africa since Barack Obama’s visit to Kenya and Ethiopia in 2015.
It is expected that this will be Mr. Biden’s final international trip as President. He promised in 2022 to visit Africa to show the United States’ commitment to the continent’s future. Despite some delays, Mr. Biden is now on a three-day diplomatic visit to 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 approach 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 smartphone and electric vehicle batteries. President Biden is showcasing this project to strengthen American access to these resources in Africa and counter China’s increasing influence on the continent.
Foreign policy experts believe that even though the Biden administration is making 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.
Tibor P. Nagy Jr., a former ambassador appointed by both President Bill Clinton and the Trump administration, stated that since disengaging with post-colonial Africa, it has been a low priority for the US. He criticized administrations for creating ambitious African strategies without any substantial action, comparing it to the phrase "Where is the beef?" from an old advertisement.
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