Joe Biden’s planned trip to Angola on October 13 was anticipated to be a turning point in US-Africa relations. It would have marked his first visit to the continent during his presidency, symbolizing a long-overdue effort to prioritize Africa within Washington’s broader foreign policy agenda. For Angola, the visit held the potential to be a diplomatic victory, offering President João Lourenço’s administration a rare moment of prestige as a key US partner in Southern Africa.
However, as Hurricane Milton advanced on Florida, the White House postponed the trip, prioritizing domestic crisis management. The cancellation underscores a larger issue: despite rhetoric emphasizing the importance of Africa, Biden’s administration has often seemed slow to act on its promises, especially when compared to the assertive presence of rivals like China and Russia, who have strengthened their footholds on the continent.
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Africa’s Strategic Importance Ignored?
Since taking office in 2020, Biden has not set foot in Africa. This stands in stark contrast to his frequent trips to Europe, the Middle East, and other regions. While his administration has repeatedly emphasized its commitment to addressing Africa’s needs — from climate change to economic growth — the president’s absence from the continent speaks volumes about where Africa ranks in Washington’s global priorities.
In the meantime, China and Russia continue to expand their influence across the continent. China, in particular, has maintained robust ties with African nations, focusing on infrastructure, trade, and development projects. Russia, leveraging historical relationships and security partnerships, has found strategic allies in countries like Mali and the Central African Republic. In this context, Biden’s missed visit feels less like an unfortunate scheduling conflict and more like a failure to recognize the urgency of Africa’s role in global geopolitics.
Unfulfilled Promises
Biden’s administration promised big. At the US-Africa Leaders Summit in 2022, Biden declared that the US was “all in on Africa,” committing to a $55 billion package for healthcare, infrastructure, and other key sectors. He also promised to advocate for African seats at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and to elevate the African Union (AU) to a permanent member of the G20 — a promise that was later fulfilled when the AU joined the G20 in 2023.
Yet, these achievements, while significant, pale in comparison to what was left unaccomplished. The administration’s Africa Strategy document, released in August 2022, came two years into Biden’s presidency, leaving little time to build a robust, lasting legacy on the continent. Key promises, such as the UNSC reform, remain unfulfilled, and the proposed seats for African countries come with a catch: no veto power. For many Africans, this feels like yet another instance of global powers offering limited inclusion while still maintaining real control.
Biden’s Angola Visit: A Case of Mixed Priorities
Had Biden’s visit to Angola gone ahead, it would have signaled a US desire to deepen trade and military ties with a country of growing strategic importance. Angola’s Lobito Corridor — a multi-billion-dollar railway project — is key to the US strategy of securing vital resources from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and reducing Africa’s dependence on China. Yet, for many observers, Biden’s focus on the Lobito Corridor as a cornerstone of US-Angola relations feels more like resource extraction in disguise, mirroring the very criticisms Washington has leveled at China.
Angola, while celebrated as a “close ally” by Washington, is also grappling with internal challenges. President Lourenço’s administration faces growing discontent over corruption, economic mismanagement, and human rights abuses. Protests against high living costs have been met with government repression, further eroding trust in Angola’s ruling elite. Despite this, Biden has remained largely silent on these issues, focusing instead on economic and strategic interests. His closeness to Lourenço raises uncomfortable questions about whether the US is compromising its stated values of democracy and human rights in its rush to counterbalance China and Russia in Africa.
Africa Deserves Better
From a pan-African perspective, Biden’s postponed visit and the broader inconsistencies in US-Africa relations point to a deeper issue: Africa remains an afterthought in the calculations of Western powers. While Washington talks about partnership, African nations have seen how quickly the promises of engagement and investment fade when domestic or international crises elsewhere take precedence.
China and Russia, whatever their motives, have engaged Africa with a consistency and respect for the continent’s agency that the US has yet to match. Africang leaders, for their part, are no longer willing to accept half-hearted gestures of support. The continent’s rapidly growing population, abundant resources, and young, dynamic workforce mean that Africa’s future lies in its own hands — and global powers that fail to recognize this risk being left behind.
As the US seeks to rebuild its ties with Africa, it must do so with humility, recognizing that its historical dominance is no longer assured. Biden’s planned trip to Angola could have been a step in the right direction, but its postponement — and the lack of clarity on when or if it will be rescheduled — only reinforces the perception that Africa is still a second-tier priority in US foreign policy.
For the 1.3 billion people across the continent, the message is clear: Africa’s future will be determined by Africans, and the world must engage with the continent on equal terms, or risk losing out on its potential.
