Joe Biden arrived in Angola on Monday, marking his first and only visit to sub-Saharan Africa as president, aiming to underscore US ambitions in the region despite increasing Chinese investment.
The outgoing US leader, set to hand over to Donald Trump on January 20, will meet Angolan President João Lourenço on Tuesday in Luanda and deliver remarks at the National Slavery Museum. His itinerary also includes a visit to Lobito, a port city at the heart of the Lobito Corridor, a landmark infrastructure project co-funded by the United States and the European Union.
The Lobito Corridor connects Angola’s Atlantic seaport to the mineral-rich Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia via a 1,300-kilometre railway. Biden previously called it “the biggest US rail investment in Africa ever” and a key element in countering China’s economic influence in the region.
“It’s a historic visit, not just because he’s the first time a US President has visited Angola, but because it’s really emblematic of President Biden’s priority to strengthen global alliances and partnerships, and really of our strategic approach when it comes to US-Africa policy,” said John Kirby, the White House national security advisor.
Biden’s trip fulfils a 2022 promise to visit the oil-rich nation of 37 million people, Africa’s second-largest crude exporter. However, it comes amidst domestic backlash over his surprise pardon of his son Hunter Biden, a move that critics say undermines his administration’s commitment to judicial integrity.
US ties with Angola have improved significantly since João Lourenço’s presidency began in 2017, moving beyond Cold War-era animosities. While Angola has become a focal point of US-Africa engagement, human rights groups have criticized the Angolan government for increasing repression and crackdowns on dissent, including the deaths of at least 17 protesters between 2020 and 2023, according to Amnesty International.
