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During his likely final overseas trip as president, Biden will visit Angola to focus on exploring the country’s history, particularly by touring a slavery museum. Additionally, he will highlight a rail corridor that is part of his administration’s economic strategy in the region.
Written by Zolan Kanno-Youngs.
Zolan Kanno-Youngs reports on news from the White House and will be accompanying President Biden on Air Force One for a trip to Angola.
President Biden will start his long-awaited trip to Africa on Sunday night by visiting Angola. The purpose of the visit is to recognize the difficult past between the two countries and to pledge to a future of economic development through investment.
President Biden’s visit 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 is expected to be President Biden’s final visit abroad before he leaves office. He promised in 2022 to visit Africa to show the United States’ support for the continent’s future. Despite some delays, President 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 team sees as a key part of his administration’s economic plans for 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 needed for smartphone and electric vehicle batteries. President Biden is showcasing this project to strengthen American efforts to secure access to these important resources in Africa and to compete with China’s increasing influence on the continent.
Even though the Biden administration has made efforts to improve 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.
After the US stopped being involved with post-colonial Africa, it became a low priority for them. This is according to Tibor P. Nagy Jr., who has served as an ambassador in Africa appointed by both President Bill Clinton and the Trump administration. Nagy 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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