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During his three-day trip, US President Joe Biden met with Angolan President João Lourenço – who since taking office seven years ago – has pushed to bolster relations with the US.
Biden’s visit sought to underline US investment in the region. Travelling to the coastal city of Lobito, the US President pledged a further USD 600 million of investments in the Lobito Corridor.
This project aims to revitalize supply chains by refurbishing 1,300 kilometres of train lines connecting Angola to the mineral-rich areas of Congo and Zambia in central Africa. The Angolan government has grown closer to the US under its current President, after decades of ties to China and Russia.
Despite this, China’s growing regional influence remains a preoccupation for US officials. During his visit, Joe Biden also visited the country’s national slavery museum. Biden stressed how Angola and the United States — which were once linked by the horrors of enslaved human beings, now could increasingly be linked by economic opportunity.
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Lourenço, like many leaders of African nations, has already begun suggesting that he’s looking toward a Trump-dominated future. While Trump allegedly made uncharitable remarks about African countries in the past, the responsibility of seeing through projects like the Lobito Corridor will soon be his.
