U.S. President Joe Biden made history on Tuesday as the first sitting American president to visit Angola, using the occasion to address the painful shared history between the two nations rooted in the transatlantic slave trade.
During his visit to the National Museum of Slavery in Luanda, Biden reflected on Angola’s central role in the forced displacement of millions of Africans to the Americas. The museum, a former property of one of the region’s largest enslavers, preserves harrowing artifacts of the era, including shackles and tools of punishment. It also houses a 17th-century chapel where enslaved individuals were baptized before being shipped across the Atlantic.
Angola’s connection to the transatlantic slave trade is significant. More than 4 million Angolans were forcibly transported to the Americas, primarily to Brazil, but also to what is now the United States. The first Africans to arrive in Virginia in 1619 were captured in Angola. Biden’s audience included Wanda Tucker, an American tracing her lineage to enslaved Angolans brought to Virginia.
The U.S. announced a $229,000 grant to support the restoration of the museum, a symbolic gesture to preserve this crucial historical site.
Deepening Partnerships and Countering Global Rivals
While the visit commemorates a shared past, it also looks toward a strategic future. Biden highlighted a U.S.-backed railway project linking Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Angola’s Lobito port on the Atlantic Ocean. The initiative aims to create alternative trade routes for critical minerals, such as copper and cobalt, reducing reliance on China’s supply chains.
The visit underscores Washington’s growing ties with Angola, a nation that once had closer relationships with rival powers. Biden met with Angolan President João Lourenço to discuss trade and security cooperation, with plans for a defense meeting next year focusing on maritime and cyber security.
On Wednesday, Biden will conclude his Angola trip with a summit involving leaders from Tanzania, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He will also tour the Lobito Corridor railway project, showcasing U.S. investments in regional infrastructure.
China remains a dominant player in the region, having recently signed agreements with Tanzania and Zambia to revive a competing railway to Africa’s eastern coast. Meanwhile, Russia continues to supply arms to Angola, raising geopolitical stakes.
Reckoning with History
Biden’s visit also draws attention to the enduring scars of slavery and colonialism. Portugal, Angola’s former colonial ruler, trafficked nearly 6 million Africans, more than any other European nation. Earlier this year, Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa acknowledged his country’s historical crimes, sparking debates about reparations.
However, Angola’s President Lourenço dismissed the idea of reparations, calling it impractical to undo the injustices of the past. In the United States, the legacy of slavery remains a deeply divisive issue, reflected in stark racial inequalities and ongoing debates about reparative justice.
Though Biden is not expected to address reparations directly during this trip, his visit signifies a broader acknowledgment of historical injustices and the need for reconciliation.
Biden arrived in Luanda on Monday, greeted by thousands lining the streets, underscoring the significance of this milestone visit for both Angola and U.S.-Africa relations.