White House confirms Biden’s Angola trip
Publish date: 21 October 2024
Issue Number: 1099
Diary: IBA Legalbrief Africa
Category: Diplomacy
US President Joe Biden will finally make his long-awaited African trip a month after the presidential elections slated for 5 November, the White House has confirmed. News24 reports that it will fulfil his promise to visit Africa while in office. The White House said the visit would ‘celebrate the transformation of the US-Angola relationship’ and ‘recognise Angola's role as a strategic partner and regional leader’. Angola has drawn closer to the US and farther from Russia and China, previously its military and infrastructure partners. Biden will discuss with his counterpart João Lourenço ‘increased collaboration on security, health, and economic partnerships – including the G7's Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment support for the Lobito Corridor.’ Initially, Biden was due in Luanda on 15 October, but with Florida under threat from successive hurricanes, he delayed a trip that would also have seen a stop in Germany.