Joe Biden becomes first US president to pay visit to Angola

Joe Biden is making the first visit to Angola by a US president, aiming to strengthen ties and promote American investments in the sub-Saharan nation.

A key focus of his trip is the announcement of a €2.8 billion commitment to redevelop the Lobito Corridor railway.

The 1,300-kilometre railway connects Zambia, Congo, and Angola, and the upgrades aim to make it easier to transport raw materials across Africa and for export to global markets.

The project has backing from the European Union, the G7, African banks, and a Western-led consortium.

The initiative reflects a shift in the US approach to building relationships in Africa, which has traditionally focused on trade, security, and humanitarian aid. It is also seen as part of a broader effort to counter China’s Belt and Road Initiative, which has invested heavily in infrastructure across Africa.

Biden had promised to visit Africa last year after reviving the US-Africa Summit in December 2022.

However, the trip was delayed until this year and then postponed again in October due to Hurricane Milton, which reinforced the feeling among Africans that their continent remains a low priority for Washington.

On Tuesday, Biden will attend an official arrival ceremony and meet with Angolan President Joao Lourenco, whom he welcomed to the Oval Office in November last year.

Biden is also set to meet with leaders of African business engagement groups he helped establish before visiting Angola’s National Slavery Museum. The site was once the headquarters of the Capela da Casa Grande, a 17th-century temple where slaves were baptised before boarding ships bound for America.

On Wednesday, the US president will fly to the Angolan coastal city of Lobito to inspect a port terminal that serves as the Atlantic Ocean outlet for the corridor.

The last US president to visit sub-Saharan Africa was Barack Obama in 2015. Biden attended a United Nations climate summit in Egypt, North Africa, in 2022.