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During what is expected to be his final international trip as president, Biden will visit Angola with a focus on exploring the country’s history, particularly related to slavery, and highlighting a rail corridor that is part of his administration’s economic strategy for the region.
Authored by Zolan Kanno-Youngs
Zolan Kanno-Youngs reports on news related to 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 on Sunday evening as he heads to Angola to recognize the difficult past between the two countries and to pledge to a future of economic growth through investment.
The recent visit by President 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.
This trip to Africa is probably the final one for Mr. Biden before he leaves office. He promised in 2022 to visit the continent to show the United States’ commitment to Africa’s future. Despite some setbacks, Mr. 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 part of his administration’s economic plan for the region.
A project called the Lobito Corridor, with a budget of $1 billion, aims to connect Angola, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. These countries are known for their abundant critical minerals used in making batteries for smartphones and electric vehicles. President Biden is promoting this project as a way to strengthen American access to these vital resources in Africa and to counter China’s increasing influence on the continent.
Foreign policy experts believe that even though the Biden administration has made efforts to strengthen relationships, the United States is still behind China and Russia in terms of economic and security influence in Africa.
Tibor P. Nagy Jr., a former ambassador to Africa appointed by both President Bill Clinton and the Trump administration, believes that the United States has neglected post-colonial Africa as a priority. He criticizes administrations for creating ambitious African strategies without tangible results, comparing it to the phrase "Where is the beef?" from an old advertisement.
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