Fatshimetrie: President Joe Biden begins his first-ever visit to Africa this week. The visit marks an inflection point in U.S.-African relations. The main focus of the visit is to support the development of the Lobito Corridor railway, which runs through Zambia, Congo, and Angola.
The initiative is seen as a critical effort to bolster U.S. influence in Africa, a region rich in minerals critical to the production of electric vehicle batteries, electronics, and technology.
For many years, the U.S. has built relationships in Africa through trade, security, and humanitarian assistance. However, the $2.5 billion upgrade of the 800-mile (1,300-kilometer) railway represents a new approach reminiscent of China’s Belt and Road strategy, which focuses on foreign infrastructure development. The Biden administration sees the Lobito Corridor as one of the president’s signature initiatives.
Joe Biden will begin his three-day visit to Angola on Monday. However, the future of the Lobito Corridor and the U.S. relationship with Africa could be shaped by the upcoming presidential elections. If Donald Trump returns to the White House, the direction of U.S. engagement with a growing Africa—a continent of 1.4 billion people—could undergo significant changes.
This presidential visit is of great importance to the future of America’s relationship with Africa, marking a turning point in how the United States engages with the continent and demonstrating Africa’s strategic importance to the world’s major powers. The Lobito Corridor railway represents a huge opportunity for the region’s economic development and offers the potential to strengthen ties between the United States and the African countries involved.
Finally, this presidential visit illustrates the growing importance of Africa on the global stage and underlines the need for major powers to strengthen their presence and cooperation with the continent in order to promote sustainable and equitable development for all African populations.