Washington D.C. — President Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s December 2024 travel to Angola was the first visit of a U.S. president to Sub-Saharan Africa since 2015. Assistant Secretary Molly Phee provides an overview of the President’s Angola travel, including his visit to the Lobito Corridor infrastructure project, the pledge to provide $1 billion in humanitarian assistance to 31 African countries, and U.S. efforts to deepen the U.S.-Africa partnership.
MODERATOR: Okay. Good afternoon. We are good to go. So hello, and welcome to the Washington Foreign Press Center’s briefing on President Biden’s recent trip to Angola and U.S.-Africa partnership. My name is Elise Crane, and I’m the moderator for today’s briefing.
As a reminder, this briefing is on the record. We will post the transcript and video for this briefing later today on our website, fpc.state.gov. For journalists joining us via Zoom, please take a moment now to rename yourself in the chat window with your name, media outlet, and country.
Our briefer today is Molly Phee, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs. Assistant Secretary Phee is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service with the rank of minister-counselor.
ASSISTANT SECRETARY PHEE: Oh, we don’t need to go through my bio. I think everybody knows who I am. Sorry, we didn’t discuss that.
MODERATOR: Okay. We’ll skip to the end.
ASSISTANT SECRETARY PHEE: Yeah.
MODERATOR: Assistant Secretary Phee recently returned from spending a week in Angola for the historic presidential visit and meetings with government and civil society. I want to turn it over now to Assistant Secretary Phee.
ASSISTANT SECRETARY PHEE: Thank very much. And thanks, all of you, for joining us here today. I want to talk a little bit about the President’s trip and how it is the culmination of his approach to U.S. Africa relations. Both President Biden and Secretary Blinken believe very strongly that Africa is strategic and that the United States should treat Africa as a strategic region of the world. That has been their approach over the lifetime of the Biden-Harris administration.
President Biden issued a strategy to address our relations with Africa in 2022, and he also hosted, as you’ll recall, the Africa Leaders Summit in December of 2022. And the theme of the strategy is really to have a genuine partnership with our African friends and partners and to lift up African voices in the global conversation. So that’s why you’ve seen the administration work very hard to advance African equities in global channels.
For example, the U.S. was a strong proponent of the African Union joining the G20. Secretary Yellen, the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, has worked very hard to expand African participation in the international financial system. So now there are more Africa leaders on the executive councils of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
Also, the United States this year provided $21 billion in concessional financing to the IMF, to the Poverty Reduction Growth Trust. So in this way, we’ve been trying to respond to African priorities, a need for credit and financing. And I also want to point out that the selection of Ajay Banga as the new president of the World Bank, someone with sensibility and concerns and priorities for Global South voices.
What you saw in the Lobito Corridor project that President Biden discussed when he was in Angola was the end-result of two years of intense effort to respond to African need for infrastructure. So I always ask the question: Why are we excited about what is really basically 19th century technology, a railroad? It’s because the railroad is a springboard to regional integration and to economic transformation of southern Africa. It will cut transport time from days to hours and allow southern Africa to use its natural resources to contribute to the global energy revolution. It will help us develop clean energy both for Africa and for the globe, and it will improve the lives of businesses and individuals in southern Africa and also American workers in the United States.
So what’s unique about this project is it’s not only a rail (inaudible), which is, in and of itself, really critical for Africa. Right now there is no transcontinental railroad track. And so this right now will build up from Zambia to DRC to Angola. And then from Zambia, the railroad can link up with the Tazara railroad through Tanzania to the Indian Ocean. So it will allow all the communities along the railroad to get involved in using that track to develop their own resources, particularly agriculture, solar energy. We’ll see wifi, internet access, and we’ll see mining access. And so we’ll bring in American companies with technology that will make a really important impact, I think, on the economic development of the area.
In Angola alone, 40 percent of the Angola population lives within 50 kilometers of the Lobito railroad track. So the kind of interventions we’ll see because of this project will have an enormous impact on those families and those communities. We’re going to see American companies like Sun Africa, which is bringing clean energy to the region, which will also bring clean water to many families and communities. We’ll see the American telecom company Africell continue to expand its engagement. We’ll see the Acrow Bridge Corporation, which will build 186 steel bridges, durable bridges, in Angola alone. We’ll see the American company KoBold, which is a revolutionary mining company using AI to develop mining structure. So these are just a few examples of companies that will be working in that region.
We’ve also blended private sector investment with public sector investment. So I think you’re familiar with a lot of the government agencies and departments from the United States that try and promote trade and investment, including the Ex-Im Bank, the Trade and Development Agency, USAID, the Development Finance Corporation, (inaudible). So all of those government entities are investing in partnership with these private sector companies, with the African Finance Corporation. We’ve also brought in the African Development Bank and G7 partners like Italy. So it’s this massive consortium of companies and the public sector, the government working together to address the regional integration and infrastructure needs of southern Africa. It will also contribute to AU priorities, priorities in infrastructure and priorities in developing the continental free trade area.
So when we were in Luanda, President Lorenzo said to President Biden in December 2022: You promised us that you would provide infrastructure support for Africa; you told us you recognize the importance for Africa as you recognize the importance for your own country, the United States, and you have delivered for us. So it was a really exciting moment, and although it will take some time for the fruits of all these initiatives and contracts to take an impact, we genuinely believe it will have a revolutionary impact in southern Africa, and we believe there’s a strong momentum from all the stakeholders that will continue to move forward and improve the lives of people in Africa and also American businesses and employees here in the United States.
So that’s a little bit on the background on that project and why we think it was so important and reflective of the broader approach of the Biden administration to our engagement with Africa.
So let me stop and answer some questions.
MODERATOR: Great. Thank you so much for those remarks. So we’ll open up to questions. We’ll start with questions from journalists in the room. Please raise your hand if you have a question, and then state your name, media outlet, and country before asking your question. And for those journalists participating on Zoom, please make sure that your screen name includes your name and outlet. And to ask a question, just click the “raise hand” icon at the bottom of your screen.
We’ll start with you, please.
QUESTION: Thank you both. My name is Ajong Mbapndah, originally from Cameroon. I’m with Pan African Visions. The visit of President Biden comes in at a time when there is a new administration coming in. So what safeguards or mechanism are in place to ensure that the Lobito Corridor project is going to survive his administration?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY PHEE: Sure. Well, on the timing of the visit, as I said, during this summit in December 2022, that’s when President Biden made this commitment to support a major infrastructure investment in Africa. And you’ve heard me describe all the numbers of companies involved, all the numbers of government agencies involved, the other institutions like the African Development Bank, the African Finance Corporation, G7 partners. So it took some time to put that entire proposal together, and it’s still moving, right. Other companies, other partners are seeing the benefits of this project, so it’s growing every day. So it’s our assessment that this is a win-win for everyone involved. It’s a win for American private sector. It’s a win for Africans benefiting from the innovation of the American private sector. It will produce development in Africa; it will produce jobs in America.
So this kind of momentum, we think, will continue to advance and expand. And again, as I said, it will take some time, but we believe that the governments of the region are committed, that the communities who will benefit are committed, and the private sector and public sector commitments will be realized.
MODERATOR: Thank you. Any other questions in room? Yes, please.
QUESTION: Thank you for doing this. My name is Yuko Mukai, Japanese newspaper Yomiuri. And my questions is about – so as we know that China and Russia, their influence on Africa are growing, so why – so in terms of those geopolitical situation, why do you think that Africa is important for the U.S. national interests? And also – so President Biden is stepping down soon in January, and you – as you all emphasize how Africa is important, but he’s leaving office soon, so it seems a little bit weak message for me that a resigning present is visiting there in the last minutes of the administration. Why – so didn’t – did this not happen earlier in —
ASSISTANT SECRETARY PHEE: So let me repeat what I just said, because perhaps I wasn’t clear. The kind of investment for the Lobito Corridor project that I described is significant and multifaceted, involving multiple stakeholders. So it legitimately and genuinely took two years to develop that project, and we believe that it is a project that is good for Africans because it brings the best of American technology – innovation in the energy sector, in the critical mineral sector, in the agricultural sector, in the infrastructure sector. So we will be bringing innovative, leading-edge technology that will have a positive impact in southern Africa, in Angola, in the DRC, and in Zambia.
We believe that the practices of U.S. companies are advantageous to African – to Africans and Africa, because we will raise the standards – labor standards, environmental standards. We want to help Africans use the resources underneath their feet to benefit the communities from where they come. So that’s the kind of approach that the United States will take and has been taking, which is – I think – distinctive among other partners in Africa. And that’s why I believe our African partners are welcoming U.S. engagement.
Also, this was discussed – you may be aware – quite a bit by the G7, including Japan – this interest in helping the Global South, helping with infrastructure. So we have, I think, mutually a shared interest in seeing this project succeed because it could serve as a template for other parts of Africa and for other parts of the Global South. Africa is important. By 2070, half of the world’s population will be from Africa. It’s important that we have a healthy, productive relationship with Africa. It’s important that we help Africa succeed in terms of job generation and economic and political stability. So I think many responsible observers appreciate the value, and it’s not tied to any particular administration.
MODERATOR: Thank you. I’d like to go online for a couple questions. Mayra, I believe you had your hand up first. Could you please come on camera and off mute and state your name, outlet, and question, please?
QUESTION: Sure. My name is Mayra de Lassalette from Voice of America Portuguese service. And we were covering the visit of President Biden to Angola. And while there, many Angolans – such as opposition and civil society leaders – were hopeful that doing business with U.S. would bring more transparency in a country tainted by corruption. My question to Assistant Secretary is: How can U.S. ensure accountability in funding the Lobito Corridor project? Thank you.
ASSISTANT SECRETARY PHEE: Thank you for those questions, and the President himself had the chance to discuss those issues with members of civil society with whom he met. I, myself, also met with members of civil society, and I also met with the vice president of UNITA. And this is what we told them: We have signed several technical agreements with government ministries in Angola to help them manage contracting in a way that’s transparent and competitive so we contribute to the effort by the Angolan Government to address its negative history of corruption. So I think that’s one important way that we will be able to promote, again, transparency and competitiveness in the contracting process so that the resources and the investment are used to benefit the people of Angola. I think it’s important to note, as I said earlier, that the Lobito Corridor will go out to the Angolan provinces, and traditionally much of the development in Angolan has been only on the coast and it’s important that we reach the provinces.
Secondly, the American companies which are involved, they themselves are interested in making sure, as I said, to set high standards in terms of rule of law and in terms of environmental and labor standards. So they themselves will be pushing for positive outcomes. And then third, I think, folks such as yourself, Myra, and civil society also have a role of shining a light on what’s being done to hold us to account to these commitments and to these goals that we’ve set.
Thank you.
MODERATOR: Thank you very much. Let’s go one more question online. Mouctar, could you please come on camera and ask your question?
QUESTION: Oh, yes, good afternoon. With your permission, I’m going to move my question a little bit from Angola to West Africa and particularly in Guinea which is another rich country. In Guinea, the region of General Mamady Doumbouya did not keep his promises in organizing a fair election after a shorter period of transition. It’s not just in Guinea. It’s happening in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. Since taking power in 2021, Mamady Doumbouya has put in jail his opponents or forced them in exile. He has cut internet. He has closed radios and TV stations. And now kidnappings are happening almost in a monthly basis. And there were no and still not any pressure from the international community.
And my question – I’m wondering – you’re leaving office this January. Your administration is leaving office this January, and I want to know, when you have to brief your next successor, the next African affairs official in the Trump administration, I want to know what would you recommend or suggest to him or her about this case? And also, knowing that some parts of foreign policy are the one where both parties – political – American political parties agree on, are you accepting the same policy or any change? And at the end on a personal level, I want to thank you during the four years briefing us. I don’t know if this is going to be the last one of your briefing, but I wish you good luck in your career. Thank you.
ASSISTANT SECRETARY PHEE: Thank you very much for the important question. What I can do is talk about how we have approached the challenge of failed democratic governance in West Africa. It is distressing for us that the people of Guinea-Conakry, as you said, as well as many in the Sahel, are losing the opportunity to dictate their own future – which is really the point of democracy, to unlock prosperity and opportunity for individuals and communities, and to make sure that government resources are used for the benefit of the population.
So there have been different ways of approaching this challenge. I know in Guinea in 2021, there was a lot of hope that the change would bring about a less corrupt and more equitable system of governance. Unfortunately, as you noted, the promised transition has been very slow in happening. I understand there have been recent steps related to a referendum on the constitution, but I appreciate the perception that these steps have been late in coming and are – have not yet reached the goal the Guineans have for what their government could be and should be for the people.
As you know, ECOWAS has been challenged in trying to handle and confront these irregular seizures of power that – the deviations from the constitutions that had – that most Western Sahelian countries have. And I think you can see that the international community has tried various ways to put pressure on these military-led government to return to constitutional order, and to make sure that they’re addressing the needs of their citizens.
So we have not succeeded, you have not succeeded. This remains an area of distress, I think, for anyone who cares about West Africa, and it should be something we continue to work on. We should continue to promote justice, we should continue to promote the rule of law, and we should continue to promote the equitable use of national resources for the benefit of the countries – not to go into the pockets of certain leaders or to be extracted by other governments abroad. Thank you.
MODERATOR: Thank you. We’ll do one more question online. Omar, could you please come on camera and state your media outlet and ask your question?
QUESTION: (Inaudible.) Can you hear me?
MODERATOR: Hi, Omar. We can hear you.
QUESTION: Oh good, good. I’m not sure I can turn my camera on because probably (inaudible) problem with network. But if you are hearing me, then I can speak through the mike.
ASSISTANT SECRETARY PHEE: No problem.
QUESTION: All right, thank you. So I sent a couple of questions before, but I also want to ask my question based on Gambia’s realities now. I know, of course, the U.S. has been a very good partner of the Gambia Government over the past years. We are in a very precarious situation, facing the possibility of prosecuting former President Yahya Jammeh and his fellow perpetrators. Already ECOWAS has given them the go-ahead to establish a hybrid court to pursue these cases. But I had an interview yesterday with Reed Brody, of course, an American-based international lawyer. And he told me the most difficult part now is to have funding – funding to establish the court, and of course funding to ensure the court is run and to ensure that the objectives of the court are achieved.
So I just want to know whether the U.S. Government has any plans to collaborate with the Gambian Government to support this process to ensure justice and (inaudible) for the victims of human rights under the 22-year rule of former President Yahya Jammeh. Thank you.
ASSISTANT SECRETARY PHEE: Thank you. And I just want to say how excited we are that ECOWAS supported the establishment of the hybrid court. You may be aware that the State Department has an office which specializes – excuse me, specializes – in global criminal justice, and that office provided some technical assistance in the effort to set up the court. And we believe it’s important for accountability and progress for The Gambia. And the contact you spoke to is correct: It is often a challenge with these courts to make sure there is continued funding, and continued attention. So we will do our best to be supportive, to help the Gambian people achieve the accountability that you seek.
MODERATOR: Great, thank you. I think we have time for one more question, if we can just keep it quite short. Julian, over to you, please. Julian, can you come off mute and ask your question? If not, we’ll move to another.
QUESTION: Yeah, I’m here. Can you – can you hear me?
MODERATOR: Yep, we can hear you now.
QUESTION: Okay, great, yeah. Thanks so much. Lots of questions about Lobito, so let me ask a question about diplomacy and conflict resolution in the region. We saw the Rwandans not want to participate, or actually want to participate but only under the condition that Congo hold direct talks with the M23. I’m wondering, Assistant Secretary Phee, if you can talk a little bit about where that leaves the U.S., if you see that as the Congolese – as the Rwandans sort of making an end run around this Luanda Process, and where the President was involved – President Biden was involved in the whole process while he was down in Angola. Thanks.
ASSISTANT SECRETARY PHEE: Sure. Well, as you know, President Biden had asked the Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines to use U.S. intelligence resources to hold DRC and Rwanda accountable to commitments they made to de-escalate in the eastern DRC in support of the Luanda Process. That was obviously a topic of discussion when they were meeting in Luanda, and as you know, both the State Department and the Office of the DNI have been heavily engaged in supporting Angola and in its – in its engagement with both Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Julian, there’s a path forward here that the parties – the Angolans, we, and other partners – have helped forge over the past year or so, and that path involves a neutralization plan to deal with the FDLR, which is something – a group that Rwanda finds odious and is concerned about. That’s a serious plan. There is also a serious pathway to dealing with the challenge of the M23, which, as we speak, is engaged in military operations, taking territory in eastern DRC and spreading terror among the local population there.
President Kenyatta has agreed to help broker talks between the M23 and the DRC. The EAC supported moving that mandate to deal with the armed groups in eastern DRC to the African Union. President Kenyatta was in fact in Luanda this past weekend when the Angolans (inaudible) the summit.
So we are appreciative of the fact that President Tshisekedi went to Angola to try and find a path forward. As I said, I think there are identified plans and opportunities to address the main concerns of both parties, including Rwanda’s concerns about M23. So I hope the parties can find a way back to the discussions. I know the Angolans remain committed, and we want to urge all sides to continue to deal with the difficult issues that have divided them for so many years.
MODERATOR: Thank you so much. That ends the Q&A session. Assistant Secretary Phee, do you have any closing words?
ASSISTANT SECRETARY PHEE: Well, I just want to say thank you to all of you for joining me and thank you for the important work you do to put a spotlight on Africa. It is important. It’s important to be discussed in Washington and it is important that Washington views are known in African countries. So I appreciate the role that you all play. Thank you very much for joining us here today.
MODERATOR: I’m sorry we couldn’t get to all the questions on Zoom, but I want to thank Assistant Secretary Phee for sharing her time with us today, and to all the journalists who joined in person and via Zoom. This concludes today’s briefing. Thank you so much.
