from PEDRO AGOSTO in Luanda, Angola
Angola Bureau
LUANDA, (CAJ News) – THE visit to Angola by United States (US) president, Joe Biden, is a milestone event, but with the Donald Trump administration coming in next month, it remains to be seen if this visit will be relevant in ties between the two countries.
Biden left the US on Sunday, marking the first tour by an American president to the Southern African country.
In addition, Barack Obama was the last American president to visit Africa, in 2015.
Scott Firsing, an expert in US-African diplomatic relations, said Biden’s visit marked a significant milestone in US-Angola relations, highlighting Angola’s strategic importance in global politics, its rich natural resources and its pivotal role in fostering peace and economic development in the region.
“This visit is particularly timely, given the recent growth in US-Angolan relations across nearly all sectors. A solid groundwork has been established for the incoming Trump administration to elevate these relations further,” he said.
Biden’s visit comes as Angola’s ruling People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) prepares to celebrate 50 years of rule.
Angola is also readying to host the US–Africa Business Summit in mid-2025.
Dr Alex Vines, Research Director: Africa Programme at Chatham House, noted US–Angola relations are at their strongest since 1993.
The US has invested significantly in the Lobito Corridor, a rail initiative.
The 1 300-kilometre corridor is part of the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, a G7 initiative designed to compete with Chinese influence in Africa.
According to Vines, for Angola, ties with the US represent a dramatic change.
During the Cold War, Angola was a one-party state, allied to the Soviet Union and Cuba, which are nemeses of America.
Critics accuse Angola of being an autocratic state since independence from Portugal.
Amnesty International has appealed to Biden to demand Angolan President João Lourenço and his government to release some government critics arrested last year.
The rights group also alleged a four-year crackdown on peaceful protests has killed at least 17 people.
“In President João Lourenço’s Angola, anyone who publicly criticizes the government risks arrest, torture or even death,” said Deprose Muchena, Amnesty International Senior Director for Regional Human Rights Impact.
By coincidence, Trump is also viewed as an autocrat.
– CAJ News