United States President Joe Biden arrived in Angola late Monday for his first and only visit to sub-Saharan Africa during his presidency.
The two-day visit aims to spotlight a multinational infrastructure initiative that serves as a counterpoint to China’s growing investments in the region.
Biden’s trip focuses on the Lobito Corridor project, a large-scale rehabilitation of a railway line that connects mineral-rich inland nations, including the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia, to the Angolan port city of Lobito for global exports. This initiative, backed by loans from the United States, the European Union, and other partners, is seen as a critical move in countering Chinese influence in Africa.
Public Holidays and High Security
To mark the historic visit, the Angolan government declared December 3 and 4 as public holidays, with heightened security measures implemented across Luanda, the capital city of 9.5 million people.
On Tuesday, Biden is scheduled to meet with President Joao Lourenco in Luanda, followed by a speech at the National Slavery Museum. On Wednesday, he will travel to Lobito, approximately 500 kilometres south of the capital, to observe the port central to the infrastructure project.
Strategic Engagement with Africa
The White House national security communications advisor, John Kirby, described the Lobito Corridor as “a real game changer for US engagement in Africa.” He added, “It’s our fervent hope that as the new team comes in and takes a look at this, they see the value too, that they see how it will help drive a more secure, more prosperous, more economically stable continent.”
The project highlights a geopolitical rivalry between the United States and China, which has heavily invested in African infrastructure, including a parallel railway project aimed at transporting minerals to Tanzanian ports on the Indian Ocean.
A senior US official emphasized that African governments are seeking alternatives to Chinese investments, which often lead to “crushing debt for generations to come.” For example, Angola owes $17 billion to China, accounting for 40 percent of its total debt.
Kirby noted, “We’re not asking countries to choose between the US and Russia and China. We’re simply looking for reliable, sustainable, verifiable investment opportunities that the people of Angola and the people of the continent can rely on.”
Angola’s Shift in Partnerships
President Lourenco appears eager to diversify Angola’s economic and diplomatic partnerships beyond China and Russia. Angola, a nation of 37 million people, has been rebuilding since the end of its 27-year civil war in 2002, which followed independence from Portugal in 1975.
During the Cold War, the United States backed the UNITA rebel movement against Angola’s ruling MPLA. It only formally recognised the MPLA-led government in 1993, later becoming a major importer of Angolan oil.
Calls for Human Rights Accountability
Human rights groups, including Amnesty International, have called on Biden to address Angola’s human rights record during his visit. Amnesty International’s recent report alleges that Angolan police killed at least 17 protesters between November 2020 and June 2023 during a crackdown on dissent.
The organisation also urged Biden to advocate for the immediate release of five government critics who have been detained for over a year.
As Biden, 82, prepares to hand over to Donald Trump on January 20, 2025, his Angola visit symbolises a push for deeper, diversified ties with Africa while addressing critical human rights concerns.
