By Daanyaal Matthews
President of the United States, Joe Biden, has announced that he will be visiting Angola next month, marking the first time the western leader visits the African continent. The president is set to discuss economic ties with the Angolan president, João Lourenço, and the possible establishment of the first transcontinental open-access rail network connecting the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.
This announcement has sparked conversation on what the intentions of President Biden could be to visit Angola. For Thelma Nyarhi, researcher at the Democracy Development Programme, the answer lies in the resources of the African state, with its riches being oil, which accounts for most of its gross domestic product.
“So, when we look at the oil industry, it drives half of the country’s GDP and constitutes 90% of its exports. So, in terms of the resources themselves, it has a lot to offer, but now the question is the interest of these international investors and what ideally, they have to offer when it comes to Africa,” argues Thelma.
The other advantage for the North American state is the location of Angola and the influence that investment in the nation could have for the Western power in the region, especially with the Chinese government continuously strengthening its influence over African States.
For Nyarhi, this comes into focus when evaluating the idea of a transcontinental rail network, which would be an additional project with the Angolan government already agreeing to other projects, such as a contract to establish a rail network between Zambia and Angola, stating:
“They already had a project that is underway, that being the rail project. Biden’s visit in October is ideally to speak about a potential or additional railroad project that would start from Angola and connect the Indian and Atlantic oceans. So, when it comes to the project, it has already set its place; it has already started; it’s just an additional project that is coming into light.”
VOC News
Photo: Pixabay
