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U.S. President Joe Biden is set to make history with his first visit to Angola, using the opportunity to promote American investments in the country while also visiting a slavery museum that highlights the painful history of human trafficking between the two nations.
One of the focal points of Biden’s trip is the announcement of a $3 billion U.S. investment in the Lobito Corridor, a major railway redevelopment project connecting Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Angola. The initiative, which aims to facilitate the transport of raw materials across the continent and for export, also has financial backing from the European Union, the G7 nations, a Western-led private consortium, and African financial institutions.
The Lobito Corridor is part of a broader U.S. strategy to strengthen its presence in Africa, particularly in regions rich in critical minerals essential for electric vehicle batteries, electronics, and clean energy technologies. This project is seen as a counter to China’s growing influence in African mining and infrastructure. Biden will travel to the coastal city of Lobito on Wednesday to visit the port terminal that serves as the Atlantic outlet for the corridor.
White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby noted that the Biden administration has significantly reshaped U.S.-Africa relations, and while the corridor’s completion will take years, substantial progress has already been made. He expressed hope that the project would continue under future administrations, even as the U.S. approaches a potential change in leadership in 2025.
Kirby emphasized that the U.S. approach to Africa is not about forcing countries to choose sides between Washington, Beijing, or Moscow, but rather about supporting sustainable and reliable investments that benefit local populations.
“The goal is to ensure investments are sustainable and verifiable, helping to avoid the debt crises that have plagued some African nations,” Kirby added.
Biden’s visit to Angola is part of a broader effort to engage with the continent. His last visit to sub-Saharan Africa was in 2015 under President Barack Obama, though Biden attended a UN climate summit in Egypt in 2022. His trip to Angola had been postponed multiple times, leading to perceptions in Africa that the continent is often a lower priority for U.S. foreign policy.
On Tuesday, Biden will take part in an official welcoming ceremony and meet with Angolan President João Lourenço. The two leaders previously met in the White House in November 2023.
Biden is also scheduled to visit Angola’s National Slavery Museum, located on the site of the 17th-century Capela da Casa Grande, where enslaved individuals were baptized before being shipped to the Americas. There, Biden will deliver a speech acknowledging the shared history of slavery between the two nations and expressing hope for a future built on mutual prosperity.
In a poignant moment during his visit, Biden met with Wanda Tucker, a descendant of William Tucker, the first enslaved child born in what would become the United States. Tucker’s ancestors were brought from Angola to Virginia in 1619.
Additionally, Biden will engage with business leaders, African community figures, and U.S. lawmakers, including Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester and Rep. Sara Jacobs, both prominent members of the U.S. Congress.
