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During what is expected to be his final foreign trip in office, President Biden will visit Angola to explore its history and economic potential. He plans to visit a slavery museum and highlight a railway project that is part of his administration’s regional development plans.
Written by Zolan Kanno-Youngs
Zolan Kanno-Youngs reports on White House news and will be accompanying President Biden on Air Force One for a trip to Angola.
President Biden will start a long-awaited journey to Africa on Sunday evening as he heads to Angola to address the historical challenges and relationships between the two countries, with a focus on fostering economic development and investment moving forward.
President Biden’s visit to Africa marks the first time a U.S. president has traveled to the continent since Barack Obama visited Kenya and Ethiopia in 2015.
Mr. Biden’s visit to Angola is expected to be his final trip overseas before leaving office. He promised in 2022 to visit Africa to show the United States’ commitment to the continent’s future. Despite delays, Mr. Biden is now embarking on a three-day diplomatic tour of Angola, where he will visit a slavery museum and highlight a rail corridor that demonstrates his administration’s economic strategy in the region.
The Lobito Corridor project, costing $1 billion, aims to connect Angola with Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. These countries are abundant in critical minerals necessary for manufacturing batteries for smartphones and electric vehicles. President Biden is showcasing this project to strengthen American efforts to access these vital resources in Africa and to counter China’s increasing presence in the region.
Even though the Biden administration is making efforts to strengthen relationships, the United States is still not as competitive as China and Russia in gaining economic and security influence in Africa, as stated by experts in foreign policy.
Tibor P. Nagy Jr., a former ambassador to Africa appointed by President Bill Clinton and later by the Trump administration as assistant secretary of state for African affairs, believes that the United States has neglected post-colonial Africa as a priority. He criticizes administrations for making ambitious African strategies that lack substance, comparing it to a famous advertisement asking, "Where is the beef?"
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