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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.
Written by Zolan Kanno-Youngs
Zolan Kanno-Youngs reports on the White House and will be accompanying President Biden on Air Force One for a trip to Angola.
On Sunday night, President Biden will start his long-awaited trip to Africa by visiting Angola. The purpose of the visit is to recognize the difficult history between the two nations and to pledge to a future of economic development through investment.
The upcoming visit to Africa by Mr. Biden will mark 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 visit abroad before his term ends. He promised in 2022 to visit Africa to show the United States’ commitment to the continent’s future. Despite some setbacks, President Biden is now on a three-day diplomatic visit to Angola. During his visit, he will tour a slavery museum and highlight a rail corridor that his team sees as a key element of his administration’s economic approach in the region.
A project called the Lobito Corridor, valued at $1 billion, aims to connect Angola with Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. These countries are abundant in critical minerals essential for making batteries for smartphones and electric vehicles. President Biden is showcasing this project to strengthen American efforts in accessing these important resources in Africa, and to counteract China’s increasing influence on the continent.
Even though the Biden administration has made efforts to strengthen relationships, the United States is still falling behind China and Russia in terms of competing for economic and security power in Africa, as noted by experts in foreign policy.
Tibor P. Nagy Jr., who has served as an ambassador in Africa under both President Bill Clinton and the Trump administration, stated that since disengaging with post-colonial Africa, it has been a neglected priority. He criticized administrations for creating ambitious African strategies that lack substance, comparing it to the old advertisement slogan "Where’s the beef?" indicating a lack of tangible results.
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