Biden Visits Angola in First Africa Trip as U.S. President

LUANDA, Angola — Joe Biden is using the first visit to Angola by a U.S. president to promote Washington’s investments in the sub-Sahara African nation and see a slavery museum where he’ll acknowledge the trafficking of human beings that once linked the two nations’ economies. A centerpiece of his trip is showcasing a U.S. commitment of $3 billion for the Lobito Corridor, a railway redevelopment linking Zambia, Congo and Angola that is meant to make it far easier to move raw materials in the continent and for export. The project also has drawn financing from the European Union, the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations, a Western-led private consortium and African banks. The project aims to advance the U.S. presence in a region rich in critical minerals used in batteries for electric vehicles, electronic devices and clean energy technologies and to counter China’s heavy investments in mining and processing African minerals. The U.S. has for years built relations in Africa through trade, security and humanitarian aid. The 800-mile (1,300-kilometer) railway upgrade is a different move and has shades of China’s Belt and Road infrastructure strategy in Africa and other parts of the world. Biden is to fly to the Angolan...