LUANDA, Angola — President Joe Biden is making history with his inaugural visit to Angola as the first sitting U.S. president to do so. The trip focuses on highlighting the significant investments made by the United States in this sub-Saharan nation, alongside a visit to a museum dedicated to the history of slavery, which once intertwined the economies of both nations.
A major highlight of Biden’s agenda is the announcement of a $3 billion commitment to the Lobito Corridor, a project aimed at revitalizing the railway infrastructure that will connect Zambia, Congo, and Angola. This initiative is designed to streamline the movement of raw materials throughout the region and facilitate exports. The project has also secured funding from various entities, including the European Union, the Group of Seven industrialized nations, as well as a coalition of Western private investors and African financial institutions.
This venture intends to strengthen U.S. influence in an area endowed with vital minerals essential for manufacturing batteries for electric vehicles, electronics, and clean energy technologies. It also serves as a strategic counter to China’s extensive investments in African mineral extraction and processing.
For years, the U.S. has nurtured relationships across Africa through trade, security cooperation, and humanitarian assistance. The proposed 800-mile (1,300-kilometer) railway improvement stands out as a new effort reminiscent of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, which seeks to enhance infrastructure in Africa and beyond.
Biden plans to travel to the coastal city of Lobito on Wednesday to gain firsthand experience of the corridor’s potential. John Kirby, the spokesperson for national security at the White House, expressed that the Biden administration has significantly reshaped U.S. relations with Africa, noting that while the full realization of the corridor will require several years of work, substantial progress has already been achieved.
The completion and continuity of these projects may hinge on Biden’s successor, which could be Republican Donald Trump, who is set to take office on January 20. When questioned about the corridor’s future without support from the next administration, Kirby expressed hope that the incoming team would recognize the project’s worth and its potential to contribute to a more secure and economically stable continent.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One as the president headed to Angola, Kirby emphasized that the initiative is not merely about competing with China on the global stage. He stated, “There is no cold war on the continent. We’re not asking countries to choose between us and Russia and China. We’re simply looking for reliable, sustainable, verifiable investment opportunities that the people of Angola and the wider region can depend on.” He explained that many nations have suffered due to unreliable investment strategies leading to mounting debt.
The last U.S. president to tour sub-Saharan Africa was Barack Obama, who visited in 2015. Although Biden attended a climate summit in Egypt in late 2022, he had committed to visiting Africa last year after the revitalization of the U.S.-Africa Summit in December 2022. However, this trip faced delays, initially scheduled for last year before being postponed again this October due to Hurricane Milton, reflecting a perception among some African countries that they hold a lower priority in U.S. foreign policy.
During his visit on Tuesday, Biden is expected to participate in an official arrival ceremony and engage in discussions with Angolan President Joao Lourenco. They previously met in November of last year in the Oval Office. Moreover, Biden is set to meet with leaders from business engagement organizations he previously established, before touring Angola’s National Slavery Museum. This historical site was formerly the headquarters for the Capela da Casa Grande, a 17th-century church where enslaved individuals were baptized before being shipped to America.
Kirby confirmed that Biden would deliver remarks at the museum recognizing the past traumas of slavery that connect the two nations, while also looking forward to a future built upon a shared vision that benefits both the American and Angolan peoples.