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During his final overseas trip in office, President Biden will visit Angola with a focus on both historical significance and economic opportunities. He will visit a slavery museum and highlight a rail corridor that aligns with his administration’s regional strategy.
Written by Zolan Kanno-Youngs
Zolan Kanno-Youngs is a journalist who reports on the activities at the White House. He is scheduled to accompany President Biden on Air Force One for a trip to Angola.
President Biden will finally start his trip to Africa on Sunday evening, with his first stop being Angola. This visit is intended to recognize the difficult and complex history between the United States and Angola, while also showing a commitment to fostering economic growth and investment in the future.
President Biden’s journey to Africa marks the first time an American president has visited the continent since Barack Obama’s visit to Kenya and Ethiopia in 2015.
It is expected that this visit to Angola will be President Biden’s final trip abroad during his time in office. He had promised to visit Africa in 2022 to show the United States’ commitment to the continent’s future. Despite some delays, President Biden is now embarking 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 with Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. These countries are abundant in essential minerals needed for manufacturing batteries for smartphones and electric vehicles. President Biden is emphasizing this project to strengthen American efforts to secure access to these important resources in Africa and to rival China’s increasing presence on the continent.
Even though the Biden administration is making efforts to strengthen relationships, the United States is still not able to keep up with China and Russia in terms of economic and security dominance in Africa, as noted by experts in foreign policy.
Tibor P. Nagy Jr., who has served as an ambassador in Africa appointed by President Bill Clinton and later as assistant secretary of state for African affairs by the Trump administration, expressed that since disengaging with post-colonial Africa, it has been given the least amount of attention. He mentioned that some administrations have ambitious African strategies that are more like goals than actual plans, similar to the saying "Where is the beef?" from an old advertisement.
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