Joe Biden, president of the United States, leaves for Angola this Sunday (1st), fulfilling his promise to visit Africa during his presidency.
The visit will focus on a major US-backed railway project that aims to “divert” critical minerals from China.
The project, partially financed by a US loan, links the resource-rich Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia with the Angolan port of Lobito on the Atlantic Ocean, offering a fast and efficient route for exports to the West.
At stake are large supplies of minerals such as copper and cobalt, which are found in Congo and are an essential component for batteries and other electronic products.
China is the main international power in Congo, which has become a growing concern for the US.
Additionally, the Chinese government signed an agreement with Tanzania and Zambia in September to revitalize a railway line to the east coast of Africa.
Biden is expected to land quickly in Cape Verde, West Africa, this Monday morning (2), where he will meet with the country’s president before heading to Angola.
During the trip, he will visit the national slavery museum in the capital, Luanda, and will make a stop at the port of Lobito on Wednesday (5).
Trump may support project
Although Biden’s trip takes place in the final days of his presidency, Donald Trump will likely support the project and remain a close partner with Angola when he returns to the White House in January, according to two sources who served in the Republican’s first term. .
Tibor Nagy, retired ambassador and top envoy to Africa during the Trump administration, said the future US president will likely have two general concerns about Africa. The first is competition with China and Russia. The second is access to critical minerals.
Referring to the Lobito Atlantic Railway, he pointed out that it “fills both fields”.
The project is supported by global commodities trader Trafigura, Portuguese construction group Mota-Engil, and railway operator Vecturis.
The US Development Finance Corporation provided a US$550 million loan to renew the 1,300-kilometer rail network from Lobito to Congo.
US promises to Africa
This trip fulfills a comprehensive set of promises for Africa. Others remain to be carried out, such as support for two permanent seats for countries on the continent on the UN Security Council.
Beyond the railway project, the US has done little to promote the country’s access to the country’s vast reserves of African minerals, which it considers essential to national security, and has accumulated other diplomatic setbacks.
Recently, the US lost its main spy base in Niger and was unable to find an ally to host these assets. This leaves the country without military support in the Sahel region, which has become a flashpoint for Islamist groups.
Angola has close ties with China and Russia, but has recently moved closer to the West. Angolan authorities say they are interested in working with any partner that contributes to advancing their agenda to promote economic growth and hope the project will stimulate investment in a range of sectors.
“China only gained prominence because Western countries probably haven’t paid much attention to Africa”, pondered the Minister of Transport of Angola, Ricardo Viegas d’Abreu, in an interview.
This content was originally published in Biden takes trip to Africa as US tries to contain China’s influence on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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