President Joe Biden to Visit Angola, Highlighting US Investment in Africa
President Joe Biden will depart Sunday night for a three-day visit to Angola, marking the first time a sitting US president has visited sub-Saharan Africa since 2015. The trip aims to highlight US investment in the continent, particularly in the Lobito Corridor, an 800-mile railway project backed by the United States and Europe.
The visit comes as the US seeks to counter China’s deepening influence in Africa, which has outpaced that of the US. China has poured billions of dollars into infrastructure projects across the continent through its Belt and Road Initiative. In September, Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged $50 billion in financial support for Africa, as well as military aid.
Biden’s trip will also focus on the US-backed investments in Angola, which is seen as a key partner for the US in the region. The two countries have cooperated on economic, technological, and scientific initiatives, and Angola has played a key mediating role in the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
During his visit, Biden will meet with Angolan President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço and deliver remarks at the National Slavery Museum. He will also tour the Lobito Port Terminal and visit the Carrinho Food Processing Factory. The president is expected to make new announcements regarding a global health security partnership, agribusiness, security cooperation, and the preservation of Angola’s cultural heritage.
The trip is seen as an opportunity for Biden to cement relations with a key US partner in Africa, even as the continent prepares for the return of President-elect Donald Trump, who made disparaging comments about African countries in his first term. Biden’s visit is also expected to highlight the US’s shift in strategy in Africa, from one of development assistance and charity to investment in specific countries.
