By President Joe Biden is preparing to make his first trip to sub-Saharan Africa with a visit to Angola in the coming weeks, according to three sources familiar with the plans. The trip, which is still being finalized, would make Biden the first U.S. head of state to visit the region since Barack Obama in 2015, underscoring a renewed focus on U.S.-Africa relations.
The visit is expected to take place after the United Nations General Assembly meeting in September and before the November 5 presidential election, one source indicated. The White House has declined to comment on the trip plans.
This journey to Angola fulfills a promise made by Biden and comes at a crucial time as the United States seeks to strengthen partnerships with African democracies amid China’s growing investments in the continent. The trip was originally planned for late last year but was postponed due to the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in October.
President Biden hosted Angolan President Joao Lourenco at the White House last November, where he first raised the prospect of a visit. In May, Biden expressed his intention to make an official visit to Africa in February if he won the upcoming U.S. presidential election.
The choice of Angola for Biden’s first African visit is significant. The oil- and resource-rich country has never before hosted a sitting U.S. president, though it welcomed U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in September 2023. This high-level engagement highlights Angola’s strategic importance in the region.
One of the key focuses of U.S. policy in Angola has been supporting infrastructure projects that aim to counter China’s massive investments in Africa. A notable example is the U.S.-backed initiative linking the Democratic Republic of Congo to Angola’s Lobito port by rail, bypassing road congestion on critical copper and cobalt routes.
Biden’s trip comes amid some criticism for not visiting the African continent earlier in his term, despite hosting a U.S.-African leaders summit in Washington in December 2022. Other high-ranking U.S. officials, including Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, have made trips to Africa in recent years.
The timing of the visit, just weeks before a tightly contested U.S. presidential election, adds another layer of significance. Recent polls show a virtual tie between Biden and his Republican rival, former President Donald Trump, whose past derogatory comments about African nations continue to resonate in African diplomatic circles.
Biden’s Angola trip is expected to focus on strengthening economic ties, promoting democracy and human rights, and discussing regional security issues. It may also address climate change and health initiatives, areas where the U.S. has been keen to cooperate with African nations.
As the first U.S. presidential visit to sub-Saharan Africa in nearly a decade, Biden’s trip to Angola is poised to be a landmark event in U.S.-Africa relations, potentially setting the tone for future engagements and countering the narrative of waning American influence on the continent.
