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During his final overseas trip in office, President Biden will visit Angola with a focus on history and economic opportunities. He plans to visit a slavery museum and highlight a rail corridor that aligns with his administration’s regional strategy.
Authored by Zolan Kanno-Youngs
Zolan Kanno-Youngs reports on the activities at the White House and will be accompanying President Biden on Air Force One for a trip to Angola.
President Biden is scheduled to start his trip to Africa on Sunday evening by traveling to Angola. The purpose of his visit is to recognize the difficult history shared between the two countries and to pledge to a future of economic development through investment.
President Biden’s visit to Africa marks the first time an American president has traveled to the continent since Barack Obama’s visit to Kenya and Ethiopia in 2015.
Mr. Biden’s visit to Africa, which is expected to be his final trip abroad during his presidency, follows his commitment in 2022 to show that the United States is fully invested in Africa’s future. Despite facing several delays, Mr. Biden is currently on a three-day diplomatic tour of Angola. During his visit, he plans to 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 have abundant critical minerals needed for smartphone and electric vehicle batteries. President Biden is focusing on this project to strengthen American access to these important resources in Africa and to counter China’s increasing influence in the region.
Even though the Biden administration has made efforts to improve relations, the United States is still falling behind China and Russia in the competition for economic and security influence in Africa, as stated by experts in foreign policy.
Tibor P. Nagy Jr., a former ambassador to Africa appointed by both President Bill Clinton and the Trump administration, expressed that ever since the disengagement with post-colonial Africa, it has been given very little importance. He criticized administrations for creating ambitious African strategies that lack substance, comparing it to the old advertisement slogan "Where is the beef?"
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