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During his final overseas trip in office, President Biden will be visiting Angola with a focus on history and economic opportunities. He plans to visit a slavery museum and highlight a rail corridor that is part of his administration’s regional strategy.
Written by Zolan Kanno-Youngs
Zolan Kanno-Youngs is a journalist who reports on the White House and has been invited to accompany President Biden on Air Force One for his trip to Angola.
On Sunday night, President Biden will finally embark on his long-planned trip to Africa, starting with a visit to Angola. This visit is intended to recognize the complex and difficult history shared between the two countries, while also expressing a commitment to fostering economic growth and development in the future.
The recent visit by Mr. Biden to Africa marks the first time an American president has visited the continent since Barack Obama’s trip to Kenya and Ethiopia in 2015.
Mr. Biden’s visit to Africa is expected to be his final overseas trip while in office. He promised in 2022 to visit the continent to show the United States’ commitment to Africa’s future. Despite some delays, Mr. Biden is currently 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, costing $1 billion, aims to connect Angola with Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. These countries are abundant in the essential minerals needed for smartphone and electric vehicle batteries. President Biden is emphasizing this project as a way to strengthen American access to these crucial resources in Africa and to counter China’s increasing influence on the continent.
Even though the Biden administration has been making efforts to strengthen relationships, the United States is still falling behind China and Russia in terms of economic and security influence in Africa, as stated 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, 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 phrase "Where is the beef?" from an old advertisement.
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