US President Joe Biden has visited Angola and Cape Verde, making this his only trip to an African country as President. This visit is seen as a way to improve relations with the continent and to balance China’s increasing influence.
President Biden’s visit to Angola is especially important, as it is expected to be a big diplomatic success for President João Lourenço, who has been in power since 2017. The US President’s schedule includes a meeting with President Lourenço, a visit to the National Slavery Museum, and a trip to the port city of Lobito to see the Lobito Corridor railway project.
The Lobito Corridor project is an important plan to build infrastructure that will link Angola’s Lobito port to Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The US government is interested in supporting this project, focusing on national security and “green energy” issues.
President Biden’s recent trip to Angola and Cape Verde marks a significant shift in US diplomatic efforts towards Africa. In 2022, the US President promised to improve relations with the continent and balance China’s increasing influence.
However, it is worth noting that Nigeria, Africa’s biggest economy was not included in President Biden’s African visits. The last US President to visit Nigeria was George W. Bush in 2003, when President Olusegun Obasanjo was in office.
