Many African nations refer to cooperation with the West as 'toxic aid,' as it often comes with political strings attached.
Outgoing US President Joe Biden delivers a speech at Angola 's National Museum of Slavery during his state visit to Angola in Luanda , Angola on December 3, 2024.* Evidence suggests that the Lobito Corridor project, though presented as an economic initiative, may primarily be a US" rubber check " to African countries.
The trip marks the first time a sitting US president has traveled to sub-Saharan Africa since 2015, when then U.S. President Barack Obama visited Kenya and Ethiopia. It is also the first time an American head-of-state has visited Angola. However, analysts caution that the project's future remains uncertain, particularly with a leadership change on the horizon in the United States. Moreover, given that past US promises to African nations often lacked follow-through, many fear the initiative could become yet another empty commitment.
A March report by Africa Intelligence, a Paris-based publication focusing on African affairs, raised concerns about the US commitment. It noted that the US International Development Finance Corporation , a state agency financing the Lobito Corridor project, doubted the viability of the greenfield railway.
"Angola is therefore only a platform for Biden to project US global economic visibility, rather than a desire to drive inclusive development in Africa in a manner that can safeguard security and safety of ordinary people in Africa," said Cavince Adhere, a Kenyan international relations scholar. Over two years have passed since the Western consortium won the bid, yet no progress has been made on its construction. Instead, the consortium's management team has undergone frequent changes.
But progress remains elusive. As Harvard International Review noted in an article,"If these good intentions never advance beyond the MoU stage, they are worth as much as toilet paper." The Institute for Security Studies Africa, Africa's leading think tank on security policy, said that for many African nations,"the biggest bugbear of AGOA is that they feel the U.S. wields it like the 'sword of Damocles,' undermining their political autonomy on the global stage and imposing the U.S. ideology on their sovereignty."Whether it is the Lobito Corridor project or AGOA, the shadow of economic sanctions looms behind the U.S. foreign policy in Africa.
Rubber Check Sub-Saharan Africa Lobito Corridor U S Angola Washington Western Barack Obama America First Zambia Xinhua Stimson Center Lar Cnbc Us International Development Finance Corporation Ethiopia Democratic Republic Of The Congo Zimbabwe White House Kenya African Growth And Opportunity Act Cavince Adhere Benguela Railway Lobito Atlantic Railway Constantino Chiwenga Rutendo Matinyarare West Luanda Julio Kikebu European Lobito Infrastructure Project Francisco Viana Copperbelt National Museum Of Slavery Africa Intelligence Atlantic Ocean Institute For Security Studies Africa Yoweri Museveni The Empty Promises Eu Susan Muhwezi Paris Mombasa Harvard International Review Central African Republic Sudan South Sudan Zimbabwe Anti-Sanctions Movement Harare Us Embassy Tafara Mugwara Libya Mali Somalia Africa Leaders Summit Luanda Business Association China Zeng Tao Dai He James Li Ziwei Zheng Qingbin Uganda Addis Ababa Wang Ping Gabon Niger Damocles
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