President Joe Biden arrived in Angola on Monday, marking his first presidential visit to sub-Saharan Africa, as his administration’s efforts in the region face growing global and domestic scrutiny.
Thousands of Angolans lined the streets of Luanda to welcome Biden to the nation’s capital. The visit began with a brief, closed-door meeting in Cape Verde with Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva before Biden proceeded to Angola.
While in Angola, Biden is set to meet President João Lourenço, tour the National Slavery Museum, and visit the port city of Lobito to inspect a railway project linked to his administration’s flagship initiatives.
This trip comes with only weeks remaining in Biden’s presidency, as Donald Trump prepares to take office on January 20. Biden had initially promised to visit Africa after reviving the US-Africa Summit in December 2022. However, the trip was postponed to 2024 and further delayed by Hurricane Milton in October, a series of setbacks reinforcing concerns that Africa remains a lower priority for Washington.
National security spokesman John Kirby dismissed suggestions that the visit was coming too late in Biden’s presidency. Speaking aboard Air Force One en route to Angola, Kirby stated, “This is something he (Biden) has been focused on since he became president of the United States.”
Critical minerals are a major focus of US-China competition in Africa. Biden’s visit to Angola highlights efforts to counter China’s dominance in the region. A key initiative is the Lobito Corridor, an 800-mile railway upgrade designed to transport critical minerals from northern Zambia and southern Congo to Angola’s Atlantic port of Lobito.
While the Biden administration has called the corridor a “game-changer,” it is only the starting point in addressing China’s stronghold on Africa’s critical mineral supply chain.
Angola’s relationship with the United States has evolved significantly from the era of Cold War antagonism. The Biden administration has strengthened diplomatic ties with Angola, a nation that had historically maintained close ties with Beijing. In 2022, an American-led consortium secured the Lobito project bid over Chinese competitors, a milestone reflecting the growing US-Angola partnership.
However, concerns persist about the durability of Biden’s initiatives under the incoming Trump administration. Experts like Tom Sheehy, a fellow at the United States Institute of Peace, note that the Lobito Corridor’s success is tied to bipartisan support in Washington, given its strategic aim to counter China’s influence.
“As long as they keep labelling Lobito one of the main anti-China tools in Africa, there is a certain likelihood that it’s going to keep being funded,” said Christian-Géraud Neema, an analyst of China-Africa relations.
Despite the strategic significance of Biden’s visit, Angola’s government under President Lourenço has faced criticism for its authoritarian shift, including alleged suppression of political opposition and restrictive laws. International rights groups have used Biden’s trip to spotlight these issues, raising questions about the balance between strategic partnerships and value-based diplomacy.
Biden’s visit, the first by a sitting US president to Angola, will include announcements on health, agribusiness, security cooperation, and updates on the Lobito Corridor. Frances Brown, a senior director for African affairs at the National Security Council, remarked,
“The visit will highlight that remarkable evolution of the US-Angola relationship.”
As Biden’s presidency concludes, his visit underscores a late-stage push to deepen US engagement in Africa, a region increasingly vital to global geopolitical and economic strategies.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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