President Biden on Tuesday declared the United States was “all in” on forging a stronger partnership with Africa as he nodded to the complicated and at times ugly history between the two during a visit to Angola.
Biden delivered remarks on the outskirts of Luanda, the capital of Angola, at the country’s National Museum of Slavery, where he invoked the history of the slave trade and America’s “original sin” of enslaving African Americans.
“I’ve learned that while history can be hidden, it cannot and should not be erased. It should be faced. It’s our duty to face our history. The good, the bad and the ugly. The whole truth. That’s what great nations do,” Biden said.
BIden noted that historians believe the people of Angola accounted for a “significant number of all enslaved people” who arrived in America. And he was joined by three individuals who he said are direct descendants of the first enslaved Africans in America.
“We’re gathered in a solemn location. Because to fully consider how far our two countries have come and our friendship, we have to remember how we began,” Biden said.
Biden’s remarks came amid his first trip as president to sub-Saharan Africa, fulfilling a pledge he made in late 2022 to visit the continent while in office. The visit to Angola is both symbolic, as a U.S. president had not been to Africa since then-President Obama, and strategically significant as the U.S. seeks to bolster investments and alliances with African countries to counter Russian and Chinese influence.
The president on Tuesday touted his administration’s efforts to partner with Africa, which he said included more than $40 billion in government investments thus far and $52 billion worth of business deals between U.S. and African companies that cover solar energy, telecommunications and infrastructure.
Biden during his visit also announced $1 billion in U.S. assistance for African countries facing a historic drought.
“The right question in 2024 is not what can the United States do for the people of Africa, it’s what can we do together for the people of Africa,” Biden said.
The trip is potentially Biden’s final international swing of his presidency as he prepares to leave office in January. His time in Angola has in many ways been overshadowed by his announcement as he prepared to leave Washington on Sunday that he was granting a complete and unconditional pardon to his son, Hunter Biden.
Reporters peppered Biden with questions during meetings with Angolan leaders about the pardon, but the president did not respond to the matter.
“As you know I’m in the final weeks of my presidency. You don’t have to clap for that. You can if you want,” Biden quipped at the end of his speech. “And although I don’t know exactly what the future will hold, I know the future runs through Angola. Through Africa.”
