The White House says President Joe Biden’s planned trip to Africa will now happen in December, visiting Angola, where he initially wanted to tour this month.
The President’s initial itinerary for Germany and Angola between October 10 and 15 was postponed because of a hurricane disaster in the US and reschedule to October 17-18 for Berlin, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Wednesday in a statement.
The White House did not indicate definite dates for the Luanda trip, but Ms Jean-Pierre said it will be on the “first week of December.”
While there, he will celebrate the transformation of the US-Angola relationship, recognise Angola’s role as a strategic partner and regional leader, and discuss increased collaboration on security, health, and economic partnerships—including the G7’s Partnership, she added.
The US will hold presidential elections on November 5 and President Biden will be leaving office, having stepped down from contesting for a second term.
This means President Biden will visit Angola during the transition period, as his successor will be inaugurated on January 20, 2025. But he will not make State commitments or engage the US State.
Angolan President João Lourenço said that the visit would open up greater business opportunities for Angolan and American investors, stimulate partnerships, contribute to national production and exports, promote tourism, and open doors for its participation in the world economy.
During the third extraordinary meeting of his ruling party MPLA’s Central Committee last week, President Lourenço also announced that on the sidelines of “this important visit, a summit on the Lobito Corridor will be held in Luanda, with the participation of President Joe Biden, the Heads of State of the DRC, Zambia, Tanzania and other important personalities.”
The US’s focus on the Lobito Corridor has been growing over the past couple of years, signalling a certain advantage over China and Russia in the region.
Last month, the US Department of State said that the Lobito project was a multinational partnership among African governments that would help spur economic development through investments in the DRC, Zambia, and Angola.
It added that, in less than 18 months since the initial US commitment, over $3 billion has been dedicated to developing the Lobito Corridor through investments in multiple interconnected sectors, including transportation and logistics, agriculture, clean energy, health, and digital access.
