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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. He plans to visit a slavery museum and highlight a rail corridor that is important to his administration’s regional strategy.
Authored by Zolan Kanno-Youngs
Zolan Kanno-Youngs is a reporter who focuses on covering news related to the White House. He will be accompanying President Biden on a trip to Angola aboard Air Force One.
On Sunday night, President Biden will start his planned trip to Africa by visiting Angola. The purpose of the visit is to recognize the difficult history between the two countries and to show a commitment to future economic investments.
The journey to Africa by Mr. Biden marks the first time an American president has visited the continent since Barack Obama’s trip to Kenya and Ethiopia in 2015.
This trip is expected to be President Biden’s final international visit before his term ends. He promised in 2022 to visit Africa to show the United States’ commitment to Africa’s future. Despite several delays, 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 administration sees as a key part of their economic strategy in the region.
A project called the Lobito Corridor, with a budget of $1 billion, aims to connect Angola, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. These countries have valuable minerals needed for making batteries in smartphones and electric vehicles. President Biden is promoting this project to enhance American access to these important resources in Africa, and to counter China’s increasing presence in the region.
Even though the Biden administration has made efforts to strengthen relationships, the United States is still falling short compared to China and Russia in terms of competing for economic and security power in Africa, as stated by experts in foreign policy.
Tibor P. Nagy Jr., who has served as an ambassador in Africa appointed by President Bill Clinton and as assistant secretary of state for African affairs under the Trump administration, stated that since disengaging with post-colonial Africa, it has become a low priority for the United States. He criticized administrations for creating ambitious African strategies that lack substance, likening it to the old advertisement asking, "Where is the beef?"
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