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President Joe Biden took a step toward deepening U.S.-Africa relations on Tuesday, unveiling a humanitarian aid package worth more than $1 billion during his visit to Angola. The announcement underscores Washington’s efforts to tackle urgent crises across the continent while reinforcing its presence amid growing global competition for influence in Africa.
In an unprecedented trip to Angola, President Joe Biden emphasized the U.S. commitment to fostering economic collaboration with the African nation, a move aimed at countering Beijing’s deepening sway in the region. This visit marked the first by a sitting U.S. president to the former Portuguese colony.
With 31 African nations grappling with historic droughts, the aid is geared toward alleviating food insecurity and other pressing issues. At the National Slavery Museum in Luanda, President Biden underscored the U.S. commitment to the continent, announcing that the funds would directly benefit displaced families while fostering long-term community resilience.
“I’m announcing over $1bn of new humanitarian support for Africans displaced from homes by historic droughts,” Biden said, as reported by AFP.
The assistance will “address food insecurity and other urgent needs of refugees, internally displaced persons, and affected communities in 31 African countries, according to a statement from the US Agency for International Development.
Biden also took a moment to reflect on Angola’s pivotal role in the transatlantic slave trade, describing slavery as “our nation’s original sin.” He stressed the significance of confronting this shared historical burden to foster greater understanding and healing between the United States and Africa.
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Biden met with Angolan President João Lourenço, who described the visit as a turning point in bilateral relations.
The leaders discussed economic and security partnerships, with a focus on the Lobito Corridor project.
The US-backed initiative aims to rehabilitate a railway connecting mineral-rich regions in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia to Angola’s Atlantic port of Lobito, enabling critical exports and boosting regional trade.
The project has received loans from the United States, the European Union, and other international partners.
It is viewed as a strategic alternative to Chinese infrastructure investments in Africa, which have often left countries saddled with debt. Angola currently owes China $17 billion, nearly 40 percent of its total national debt.
Biden highlighted the potential of the corridor to transform African economies, stating, “The future runs through Angola, through Africa.”
His administration has prioritised infrastructure development as a means of fostering economic growth and stability in the region.
