Biden makes history as first US president to visit Angola

President Joe Biden is making history as the first American president to visit Angola. This also marks the only trip to sub-Saharan Africa of his presidency. 

The focus of the three-day visit is on the U.S.-backed Lobito corridor railway redevelopment project in Angola, Zambia and Congo.  It’s meant to counter China’s influence on the continent. The U.S. has committed $3 billion to the corridor and related projects, according to administration officials.

The goal is to increase the U.S.’ presence in the region which is rich in the critical minerals used to make things like electric vehicle batteries and other electronic devices, as well as clean energy technologies. 

Biden plans to meet with President João Lourenço in the capital, Luanda. Lourenço met with Biden at the White House in November 2023.

He will also visit the National Slavery Museum. White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said Biden will give a speech at the museum on Tuesday, Dec. 3, acknowledging “both the horrific history of slavery that has connected our two nations, but also looks forward to a future predicated on a shared vision that benefits both our people.”

On his way to Angola, Biden stopped in the island nation of Cape Verde for a short, closed-door meeting with Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva.

Barack Obama was the last president to visit sub-Saharan Africa in 2015.