Steph Deschamps / December 13, 2024
The November presidential elections were apparently exhausting for Joe Biden. On Wednesday December 4, the American president closed his eyes for long seconds, suggesting that the 82-year-old had fallen asleep during a meeting in Angola, in southwest Africa.
Joe Biden was taking part in a round table with African leaders to discuss the Lobito Corridor infrastructure project, which could transport vital minerals from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia to the West by rail. The United States has granted a $550 million loan to support this ambitious project, which Joe Biden described as a “revolution”.
The visit is historic, as it is the first official trip by an American president to Africa since 2015. On site, the Democrat was able to exchange with the leaders of Angola, Congo, Zambia, as well as Tanzania. The visit to Angola by an American president is also a first.
Angola has long enjoyed close ties with China and Russia, but the country has recently drawn closer to the West. While China has already invested pharaonic sums of money in the country, Washington claims to be proposing initiatives that are more respectful of the interests of African countries. Beijing, on the other hand, is accused of burdening African countries with unpayable debts.