Biden’s Angola trip draws mixed reviews from Catholic leaders

YAOUNDÉ. Cameroon – Catholic leaders in Africa have disagreed on the significance of US President Joe Biden’s Dec. 2-4 visit to Angola, the first presidential outing to Sub Saharan Africa since 2015.

“The United States is all in on Africa,” Biden told Angolan President João Lourenço, saying he was “very proud” to be the first American leader to visit the country.

Observers believe the visit was meant to counter China’s growing influence in Africa, and Biden talked up a U.S. commitment of $3 billion for the Lobito Corridor railway redevelopment linking Zambia, Congo and Angola.

The railway is meant to make it easier to transport raw materials and foster the U.S. presence in a region rich in crucial minerals used in batteries for electric vehicles, electronic devices and clean energy technologies.

Officially, the Catholic bishops in Angola welcomed the U.S. President’s visit, describing it as “an excellent opportunity” for the Southern African nation.

The trip “is of great importance, standing out as a strategic opportunity for the country Angola that is in search of international partnerships, especially in the political sphere,” said Archbishop Zeferino Zeca Martins of Huambo in an interview with ACI Africa.

“The success of this partnership will depend on the country’s ability to take advantage of these investments in a strategic way, ensuring that they bring tangible benefits to its people and its economy,” the archbishop said.

“The long-term vision is crucial, and it is essential that Angolans are prepared to roll up their sleeves and get to work, taking advantage of the support of the United States to turn these partnerships into prosperity for all.”

The archbishop lauded the partnership as fundamental to the country’s development and noted that U.S. investment in the railway corridor that was severely damaged after the Angolan civil war, would enable it to reach its full potential.

“For Angolans to capitalize on this opportunity, it is necessary to guarantee a safe and transparent environment for business,” the archbishop said.

Bishop Martín Lasarte Topolansky of Lwena said the Lobito Corridor should serve as an avenue for youth entrepreneurship and development of the wood industry.

Father Moses Aondover Iorapuu, Director of Social Communications for Makurdi Diocese, told Crux that Biden’s Angola visit highlights Africa’s strategic importance.

“I think Africa is considered strategic in many ways for the stability of the world,” he said.

“By visiting the continent and strengthening ties with African nations, the president may hope to cement his legacy,” he told Crux.

Noting that Biden’s visit was meant to promote U.S. investment in Africa and counterbalance China’s influence, the Nigeria priest also noted the possibility that “President Biden simply wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to visit Africa and engage with its leaders before leaving office, having been a long-time admirer of the continent. “

“Biden’s visit to Angola has significant implications for both Africa and China’s interests in sub-Saharan Africa. This historic trip, the first by a sitting U.S. president to Angola, marks a substantial shift in U.S. foreign policy towards Africa,” Iorapuu told Crux.

“China has been Angola’s largest trading partner for several years, and Beijing has invested heavily in the continent’s infrastructure and energy sectors,” he said, but now the U.S. is seeking to reassert its influence in the region and to promote American interests.

He urged people and leaders of Sub-Saharan Africa to be “weary of being caught in the contest of interest between the West and the East where its own interest is not protected. The events in Syria and the Middle East should be lessons for African leaders who are defrauding the people in strategic alliances that ignore the people.”

Iorapuu, however, noted that Biden’s visit, coming at the twilight of his presidency, reflects a growing tendency for U.S. Presidents to visit the continent only towards the end of their presidencies.

“Whatever the reasons for this trend are, considering Africa only in the twilight of any US administration smacks of disrespect for the continent,” Iorapuu told Crux.

It’s an issue further highlighted by Johan Viljoen, Director of the Denis Hurley Peace Institute (DHPI), a body sponsored by the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC).

“Of course the U.S. is trying to counter China,” Viljoen told Crux.

“Biden’s visit is irrelevant and sends no signal, considering that he is a lame duck president with less than a month left of his presidency,” he said.