President Joe Biden’s visit to Angola in December marks a significant moment in US-Africa relations, fulfilling a commitment made at the 2022 U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit. While some may question the timing, framing it as “too little, too late,” this perspective overlooks the deeper strategic importance of Angola to the United States. This visit is poised to strengthen bilateral ties and spotlight the groundbreaking Lobito Corridor initiative, a project with potentially transformative implications for the region and U.S. influence in Africa.
Overcoming a Complex History: US-Angola Relations
Few African nations share a history with the United States as intricate and, at times, fraught as Angola. For fifteen years following Angola’s independence in 1975, U.S. foreign policy was entangled with the Cold War dynamics, leading to alignment with South Africa’s apartheid regime in supporting UNITA rebels against the MPLA government. The MPLA, backed by the Soviet Union and Cuba, became a focal point of Cold War tensions, resulting in a devastating conflict.
By 1992, as Angola held its first multi-party elections, the prolonged civil war had claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and decimated much of the nation’s infrastructure. It wasn’t until 1993 that the United States formally recognized the Angolan government, a delayed acknowledgment reflecting the complexities of the preceding decades. The 27-year civil war finally concluded in 2002. Throughout this period, successive U.S. administrations maintained a working relationship with President José Eduardo dos Santos, whose long tenure – 38 years – was marred by widespread corruption and significant debt accumulation from China, estimated at $45 billion.
A Shift in Relations: Forging a New Partnership
A notable turning point in U.S.-Angola relations occurred in 2017 with the visit of João Lourenço, then Angola’s Defense Minister and now President, to Washington D.C. He signed a memorandum of understanding with U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, an event both officials heralded as the beginning of a strategic partnership.
This initiative from President Lourenço was particularly significant given Angola’s historical ties to Moscow, its Marxist government until the Cold War’s end, and its recent reliance on Chinese financing for infrastructure development. This diplomatic overture was reciprocated through high-level visits to Luanda, including Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in September 2023 and Secretary of State Antony Blinken in September 2024. These engagements culminated in a meeting between President Biden and President Lourenço at the White House in November 2023, solidifying the burgeoning relationship.
The Lobito Corridor: A Landmark Initiative
A cornerstone of President Biden’s Africa strategy is the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII), launched at the 2022 G7 Summit. PGII aims to bridge the infrastructure investment gap in developing nations, implicitly offering an alternative to China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
At the subsequent G7 summit in Japan, the Biden administration unveiled the Lobito Corridor initiative as a key PGII project. This ambitious undertaking seeks to modernize and expand the transportation infrastructure linking the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zambia to global markets via Angola’s port of Lobito. The long-term vision is to establish an open-access rail line spanning from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean.
In October 2023, a significant step was taken in Brussels with the signing of a memorandum of understanding by seven key stakeholders to advance the Lobito Corridor and the Zambia-Lobito rail line. The signatories included the African Development Bank, the African Finance Corporation, and the governments of Angola, DRC, Zambia, the United States, and the European Union. The Development Bank of Southern Africa has also committed substantial investment, with other regional banks considering participation.
In a region where the U.S. has faced setbacks, such as the withdrawal from its military base in Niger and challenges in mediating the Sudan conflict, the Lobito Corridor initiative presents a significant opportunity to enhance U.S. standing in Africa.
Firstly, it embodies a unique collaborative model involving the U.S., EU, African governments, and financial institutions in a crucial infrastructure project. Its success could serve as a template for future multilateral engagements across the continent.
Secondly, with over $3 billion already mobilized, the Lobito Corridor represents the largest U.S. rail investment in Africa to date. Beyond rail, the project is designed to stimulate growth in adjacent sectors like agribusiness, road networks, water infrastructure, and digital connectivity. It directly addresses Africa’s substantial infrastructure financing gap, estimated to be as high as $100 billion annually.
Thirdly, the Lobito Corridor offers the most direct and efficient route for exporting critical minerals from the Central African copper belt to the U.S. and Europe. Securing access to these minerals is a bipartisan priority in the U.S., suggesting sustained political support for the project even amidst domestic divisions.
Expanding US-Angolan Commercial Horizons
Angola’s economy is heavily reliant on oil, which accounts for over 90% of exports and 70% of government revenue. Recognizing this concentration, the World Bank and other institutions emphasize the urgent need for Angola to diversify its economy and foster private investment.
The United States is strategically positioned to support Angola’s diversification efforts. Historically, U.S. business engagement has been dominated by oil companies, with Chevron marking 70 years of operation in Angola. However, recent U.S. investments signal a broadening scope, including projects such as constructing over 180 rural bridges to improve agricultural market access, upgrading 4G and 5G digital infrastructure, and adding 500 megawatts of solar power to the national grid.
These investments align with Angola’s ambitious goals to generate 70% of its energy from renewable sources by 2025 and achieve food self-sufficiency by 2027. Commercial ties are expected to deepen further as Angola prepares to host the U.S.-Africa Business Summit next year, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of Angolan independence.
These multifaceted initiatives, particularly the Lobito Corridor, reflect the White House’s broader Africa strategy, aiming to cultivate a wider network of partners and a more adaptable regional framework. President Biden’s visit to Angola provides a platform to showcase the tangible progress of this strategy, fostering hope for continued bipartisan support in the years to come.
Author
Witney Schneidman
Nonresident Senior Fellow, Global Economy and Development, Africa Growth Initiative
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