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During his final overseas trip as president, Biden will visit Angola to explore the country’s history and economic potential. He plans to visit a slavery museum and highlight a railway project that is part of his administration’s focus on the region.
Written by Zolan Kanno-Youngs
Zolan Kanno-Youngs is a journalist who reports on the White House and will be accompanying President Biden on Air Force One for a trip to Angola.
President Biden will start his much-anticipated journey to Africa by traveling to Angola on Sunday evening. The purpose of his visit is to recognize the troubled past between the two countries and to pledge to a future of financial support and development.
The recent visit 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.
Mr. Biden is currently on his final trip abroad as president, as he promised in 2022 to visit Africa to show the United States’ commitment to the continent’s future. Despite some setbacks, Mr. Biden is now on a three-day diplomatic visit to Angola, where he will tour a slavery museum and highlight a rail corridor that showcases 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 critical minerals necessary for manufacturing batteries for smartphones and electric vehicles. President Biden is emphasizing this project to strengthen American access to these important resources in Africa and to counter China’s increasing influence on the continent.
Even though the Biden administration has made efforts to strengthen relationships, experts in foreign policy note that the United States is still falling behind China and Russia in terms of economic and security influence in Africa.
Tibor P. Nagy Jr., who has experience as an ambassador in Africa appointed by both President Bill Clinton and the Trump administration, expressed that post-colonial Africa has been neglected and considered a low priority by the United States. Some administrations have ambitious strategies for Africa, but Nagy questions their effectiveness and implementation, likening it to the phrase "Where is the beef?" from an old advertisement.
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