Luanda, Angola – US President Joe Biden arrived in Angola on Tuesday for a two-day visit focused on strengthening ties between the United States and the oil-rich African nation. The visit marks Biden’s first trip to Angola and his only visit to sub-Saharan Africa since taking office in 2021, excluding his attendance at the COP27 climate conference in Egypt last year.
Biden’s discussions with Angolan President João Lourenço are expected to center on trade, security, and investment. A key focus will be a major infrastructure project aimed at rehabilitating a railway line that transports minerals from inland countries to the Angolan port of Lobito for export. This project is part of the broader Lobito Corridor initiative, which has received funding from the United States, the European Union, and other international partners. The initiative is seen as a significant component of the US’s efforts to engage more deeply in Africa, particularly as China increases its influence in the region.
To mark Biden’s visit, the Angolan government declared Tuesday and Wednesday public holidays, with heightened security deployed across the capital, Luanda, which is home to around 9.5 million people.
In addition to discussions on infrastructure, Biden is set to deliver remarks later on Tuesday at the National Slavery Museum in Luanda. The museum showcases the transatlantic slave trade, and Biden is expected to reflect on the painful history of slavery that linked the two nations. Angola was once the largest source of enslaved Africans sent to the Americas. During his visit, Biden will also acknowledge Angola’s historical significance and the ongoing efforts to preserve the legacy of this dark chapter in history. The United States has pledged a $229,000 grant to support the restoration of the museum, once the estate of a former slave trader.
Biden’s visit comes amid growing competition for influence in Africa, particularly in the mining sector, where China has significant investments. The Lobito Corridor project, in which the US has invested, is viewed as a strategic counterbalance to Chinese-backed infrastructure initiatives in the region, including a similar railway project aimed at transporting minerals through a Tanzanian port. US officials have emphasized that African governments are seeking alternatives to Chinese investments, especially those that lead to significant debt burdens. Angola, for example, owes China approximately $17 billion, or about 40% of its total national debt.
On Wednesday, Biden is scheduled to travel to Lobito, about 500 kilometers south of Luanda, for a summit on infrastructure investment. The summit will be attended by leaders from Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Tanzania, and Zambia, and will focus on fostering greater economic collaboration in the region.
Human rights groups, however, have urged Biden to address concerns regarding Angola’s human rights record during his visit. Amnesty International recently reported that at least 17 protesters were killed by Angolan police between November 2020 and June 2023, and Human Rights Watch has called for the release of five government critics who have been detained for over a year. These groups have urged Biden to demand accountability for human rights abuses and to press for reforms in Angola’s security forces.
As Biden’s visit to Angola continues, it is clear that the United States aims to strengthen its partnership with Angola while also navigating the broader geopolitical competition in Africa.