US President Joe Biden met with African leaders in the Angola port of Lobito on Wednesday to develop a railway that could transport vital minerals from Congo and Zambia westward through Lobito, in response to China’s pressure on the region.
According to the representative, China is a major source of foreign workers employed in the mining sector in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It exports minerals considered essential for batteries and other industries that are crucial to the transition away from fossil fuels.
The United States has provided a $550 million loan to support the Lobito project. The first phase includes upgrading an existing railway in Angola and connecting it to the mining hub of Congo.
While there is no completion date yet, a second line connecting Lobito and Zambia via the new railway line is still in the planning stages. According to Washington Post, it is targeted to open in 2026.
The presidents of Angola, Congo and Zambia and the vice president of Tanzania gathered for a meeting in Lobito on the final day of Biden’s first and only trip to Africa as president.
Biden and Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi reiterated their commitment to promoting investment and peace, respectively, to enable the Central African country to benefit from its vast mineral resources, the White House reported after the two meetings.
Biden and Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema also met to discuss the Zambia part of Lobito’s plan and other issues.
“This corridor is of vital importance to opening up our countries, to opening up our regions, the continent, and truly the global economy,” Hichilema said. “This project is a huge opportunity for investment, for trade.”
The White House reaffirmed the belief of both presidents that they “will not be distracted by the need to pay down high debt deficits by investing in the development of our countries and will continue to advocate for change.”
In June, Zambia’s international shareholders voted to approve their share of a US$13.4 billion debt restructuring deal, making Zambia the first country to complete the G20-led “Common Framework”-based innovation.
The Lobito Atlantic Railway deal, awarded to a consortium of Western companies in 2022, is seen as a victory over China as Washington worries about its control of staples including Congo’s rich copper and cobalt reserves.
The second part of the plan is to extend the Lobito Corridor Railway from Zambia to Tanzania’s Indian Ocean port of Dar es Salaam.
The United States funded the second phase of the exploration capability, but critics say it could give China a competitive advantage in the east and could lead Washington to agree to the whole project.
U.S. officials this week announced $600 million in new funding from the Development Finance Corporation for the first phase of the work, aimed at projects such as solar energy, mining and telecommunications.
Biden pledged to support America’s partnership with Africa on the country’s terms during a meeting with Angolan President João Lourenco in Luanda on Tuesday. Biden’s trip fulfils a promise to visit Africa but comes just weeks before the end of his presidential campaign.
Despite repeatedly pledging “full support for Africa,” America’s influence in Africa has waned during his time in office. Washington has lost a military base in the Sahel and has made little progress in breaking China’s economic dominance in food, a vital part of national security.
Angola has long had good relations with China and Russia but has recently moved closer to the West. Lourenco said Biden’s aim during Tuesday’s visit was to expand cooperation with the United States on security and military measures.
