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During what is expected to be his final international trip in office, President Biden will visit Angola to explore its historical significance and economic potential. The trip will include a visit to a slavery museum and a focus on a rail corridor that plays a key role in the administration’s regional strategy.
Written by Zolan Kanno-Youngs
Zolan Kanno-Youngs reports on White House news and is scheduled to accompany President Biden on Air Force One to Angola.
President Biden is set to start his long-awaited trip to Africa by traveling to Angola on Sunday night. The purpose of the visit is to recognize the troubled history between the two countries and to pledge to a future of economic development through investment.
Mr. 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.
Mr. Biden’s visit to Africa, which is expected to be his final overseas trip as President, is a result of his promise to prioritize the continent’s future. Despite some setbacks, he is now embarking on a three-day diplomatic tour of Angola. During his visit, he will tour a slavery museum and showcase a rail corridor that symbolizes his administration’s economic approach 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 important minerals needed for manufacturing batteries used in smartphones and electric vehicles. President Biden is bringing attention to this project in order to strengthen American access to these crucial resources in Africa and to counter China’s increasing influence in the region.
Even though the Biden administration has made efforts to build friendly relationships, the United States is still falling behind China and Russia in terms of competing for economic and security power in Africa, as stated by experts in foreign policy.
According to Tibor P. Nagy Jr., who has served as an ambassador in Africa appointed by both President Bill Clinton and the Trump administration, there has been a lack of focus on post-colonial Africa since disengagement. He criticizes administrations for having ambitious African strategies that lack substance, likening it to the phrase "Where is the beef?" from an old advertisement.
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