Tuesday, December 3, 2024
Year : 2, Issue: 14
VOA: U.S. President Joe Biden received a warm welcome at Angola’s pink-hued Presidential Palace Tuesday as he made his first and almost certainly final visit to the African continent as president.
After a red-carpet promenade, renditions of national anthems by a military band, an inspection of troops and a 21-gun salute, he and Angolan President Joao Lourenco, both flanked by diplomats, got down to work.
“I’m very proud to be the first American president to visit Angola, and I’m deeply proud of everything we have done together to transform our partnership thus far,” Biden told Lourenco.
His administration’s top Africa adviser told VOA that Biden sees Angola as “exhibit A” of a collaborative relationship with Washington.
“We, the United States, are working with Angola on a few really important things,” said Frances Brown, senior director for African Affairs at the National Security Council, speaking exclusively to VOA. “One is bolstering peace and security in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Another is growing economic opportunities in the region. A third is technological and scientific cooperation.”
Unmentioned by Biden — publicly at least — was Angola’s poor human rights record. Rights group Amnesty International attempted to summarize the situation.
“Amnesty has repeatedly documented excessive and lethal force to disrupt peaceful demonstrations,” Kate Hixon, advocacy director for Africa at Amnesty International USA, told VOA via Zoom.
Biden is set Wednesday to visit the port city of Lobito, where a new, U.S.-financed rail line brings raw materials from Africa’s interior to this bustling port.
