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During what is expected to be his final international trip as president, Biden will visit Angola to explore the country’s history, including a slavery museum. He will also draw attention to a rail corridor that is a key component of his administration’s economic strategy in the region.
Written by Zolan Kanno-Youngs
Zolan Kanno-Youngs reports on the activities at the White House and has been chosen to accompany President Biden on Air Force One to Angola.
President Biden is set to embark on a trip to Africa starting on Sunday night, with his first stop being Angola. This visit is intended to recognize the difficult past between the two countries and to show a commitment to future economic partnerships and investments.
The journey to Africa taken by Mr. Biden marks the initial visit by a U.S. president since Barack Obama’s trip to Kenya and Ethiopia in 2015.
Mr. Biden is making his final international trip as President to Africa, fulfilling a promise he made in 2022 to show the United States’ commitment to Africa’s future. Despite several postponements, he is now embarking on a three-day diplomatic visit to Angola. During his visit, he plans to tour a slavery museum and highlight a rail corridor that demonstrates his administration’s economic approach in the region.
A project worth $1 billion, called the Lobito Corridor, aims to connect Angola with Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. These countries are abundant in important minerals needed for smartphone and electric vehicle batteries. President Biden is emphasizing the project to strengthen American access to these vital resources in Africa and to counter China’s increasing influence in the region.
Even though the Biden administration has been making efforts to strengthen relationships, foreign policy experts believe that the United States is still falling behind China and Russia in terms of economic and security influence in Africa.
Tibor P. Nagy Jr., who has served as an ambassador in Africa under President Bill Clinton and as assistant secretary of state for African affairs under the Trump administration, stated that since disengaging with post-colonial Africa, it has been a low priority. Some administrations have made ambitious African strategies but have not followed through with concrete actions, similar to the old advertisement asking, "Where is the beef?"
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