U.S. President Joe Biden Lands in Angola for Railway Project and Slavery Legacy Visit, But Son’s Pardon Overshadows Agenda
U.S. President Joe Biden has arrived in Angola for a two-day visit focused on the U.S.-backed railway project, the Lobito Corridor, and the legacy of slavery. The visit is intended to bolster the project, which links the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia to the Angolan port of Lobito on the Atlantic Ocean and provides access to vast supplies of minerals like cobalt, a key component of batteries and other electronics. China has become a major player in the region, leading to concerns in Washington.
Biden’s visit aims to create economic opportunities on the continent and will include commitments to health, climate, and clean energy programs. However, reporters have more questions about the president’s decision to pardon his son, Hunter Biden, who pleaded guilty to tax violations and was convicted on firearms-related charges.
Biden is scheduled to meet with President Joao Lourenco and Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema and tour the national slavery museum and various facilities in Lobito. The Lobito Corridor is partly funded by a U.S. loan, which aims to make it faster and easier to export critical minerals to the United States, potentially reducing the country’s reliance on China.
The project is backed by global commodities trader Trafigura, Portuguese construction group Mota-Engil, and railway operator Vecturis, with the U.S. Development Finance Corporation providing a $550 million loan to refurbish the 1,300-kilometer rail network from Lobito to Congo.