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During his final overseas trip in office, President Biden will visit Angola, where he plans to visit a slavery museum and showcase a rail corridor that aligns with his administration’s regional strategy. This trip will focus on exploring the history of the region and highlighting economic opportunities for growth.
Written by Zolan Kanno-Youngs
Zolan Kanno-Youngs reports on White House news and will be accompanying President Biden on Air Force One for a trip to Angola.
On Sunday night, President Biden will start his long-anticipated trip to Africa by traveling to Angola. The purpose of his visit is to recognize the difficult history between the two countries and to pledge to a future of economic development.
The recent visit to Africa by Mr. Biden marks the first time an American president has visited the continent since Barack Obama’s trip to Kenya and Ethiopia in 2015.
Mr. Biden is making his final international trip as President to Africa, after promising in 2022 to show support for the continent’s future. Despite some setbacks, he is now on a three-day diplomatic visit to Angola. During his time there, he plans to visit 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 have valuable minerals essential for making batteries for smartphones and electric vehicles. President Biden is emphasizing this project to strengthen American access to these resources in Africa and to counter China’s increasing presence on the continent.
Foreign policy experts believe that even though the Biden administration has made efforts to improve relations, the United States is still falling behind China and Russia in terms of economic and security influence in Africa.
Tibor P. Nagy Jr., a former ambassador to Africa appointed by President Bill Clinton and later by the Trump administration as assistant secretary of state for African affairs, stated that since disengaging with post-colonial Africa, it has not been a top priority. He criticized administrations for having ambitious African strategies that lack substance, comparing it to the old advertisement slogan "Where’s the beef?"
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