Biden Looks to Cement US Influence in Africa

President Joe Biden speaks at the leader's session during the U.S.–Africa Leaders Summit at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington on Dec. 15, 2022. Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

WASHINGTON—In the final months of his political career, President Joe Biden has said he is motivated to “get as much work done as possible.”

He intends to visit Africa in early December as part of this effort and highlight U.S. commitment to the continent, which is at the heart of a growing geopolitical friction with China and Russia.

Africa, with its vast natural resources and a population of 1.5 billion, is poised to emerge as a major force in the global economy in the coming decades. With the growing dependence on critical and rare-earth minerals, Africa’s role in the global supply chains is anticipated to be significant.

Biden’s sole stop in Africa is Angola, initially scheduled for Oct. 13, but the trip was postponed due to concerns over Hurricane Milton impacting Florida. The White House announced on Wednesday that the visit to Angola was rescheduled for the first week of December, just a month after the U.S. presidential election.

While there, Biden aims to highlight his key initiative known as the Lobito Corridor project, which is critical for U.S. national security.

Amid a geopolitical tug of war with China, Washington is making headway in gaining access to African critical mineral reserves through this rail line project launched last year that will expand the Lobito Corridor.

The eventual 1,000-mile railway spans three countries, linking Angola’s port city of Lobito to the mineral-rich areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zambia’s Copperbelt. It’s considered Washington’s major effort to counter China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Africa.

“It’s a competition over the future of the world order,” Michael Walsh, senior fellow in the Africa program at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, told The Epoch Times.

However, he noted that it is not only the United States and China that are competing for the continent; India, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates are all “getting into the game.”

“What you’re seeing is a number of countries struggling for power and influence on the continent in different ways and in different subregions,” said Walsh, who advised the Biden presidential campaign in 2020.

Washington also faces competition from Russia. In recent years, Moscow has deployed thousands of troops from its Africa Corps, formerly the Wagner Group, to several African countries, including Mali, Libya, the Central African Republic, Burkina Faso, and Niger. While increasing its military footprint, Russia also gained access to strategically important natural resources in these countries.

Africa’s Mineral Wealth

Sub-Saharan Africa holds about 30 percent of the world’s critical mineral reserves, according to the International Monetary Fund.

The DRC alone holds more than 70 percent of the world’s cobalt, an essential mineral used in batteries that power smartphones, computers, and electric vehicles.

The conflict-wracked country is also regarded as the richest in the world in terms of natural resources, with untapped mineral deposits worth more than $24 trillion.

Other countries in the region with significant critical mineral reserves include South Africa, Guinea, Zimbabwe, Gabon, Mozambique, and Tanzania.

These minerals—such as copper, cobalt, manganese, and lithium—are the lifeblood of everyday electronics. Beyond consumer goods, they play a critical role in high-precision weapons and other defense technologies, making them vital for national security. Additionally, they are key to accelerating the transition to electric vehicles and alternative energy solutions, aligning with Biden’s ambitious climate agenda.

In recent years, China has made big investments in the continent’s mining and mineral extraction industries, especially in countries like the DRC, Ghana, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, and Zambia.

For example, China owns most of DRC’s large industrial cobalt mines. About 80 percent of the DRC’s cobalt output is owned by Chinese corporations, which is then refined in China, and sold to battery manufacturers around the world.

China dominates the critical mineral market by processing and refining raw materials sourced from other countries like the DRC. It largely imports raw minerals and processes them into usable products, which grants them significant control over the supply chain.

“I think the Chinese see an opportunity in Africa because they see the United States historically not making a commitment to the region,” Walsh said.

The United States has made far less commitment in Africa than in any other part of the world, except for the Pacific Islands, he said.

The Biden administration’s effort to counter China’s influence in Africa is important in the fight for access to the continent’s strategic minerals, say experts. They say that the United States still has a long way to go, but recent initiatives are helping to close the gap.

“There’s no doubt that the railway to Lobito will eventually take minerals and other natural resources out of Chinese hands,” Candice Moore, a specialist in U.S.-Africa relations at Wits University in Johannesburg, South Africa, told The Epoch Times in an interview early this year.

“It’ll take them to Africa’s west coast and from there to Western markets instead of to East African ports from where they’ve traditionally been shipped East.”

President Joe Biden shakes hands with President Joao Lourenco of Angola during a meeting in the Oval Office on Nov. 30, 2023. Alex Wong/Getty Images

Angola is Africa’s second-largest diamond producer. The country is also a major producer of copper and oil. Meanwhile, Zambia is one of the world’s biggest producers of copper and cobalt.

Biden has said the Lobito Corridor project is “far from just laying tracks.”

“It’s about creating jobs, increasing trade, strengthening the supply chains, boosting connectivity, laying foundations that will strengthen commerce and food security for people across multiple countries,” the president said during the G20 summit in India last year. “This is a game-changing regional investment.”

The infrastructure project is funded by the U.S. government, the African Development Bank, and a consortium led by commodity trader Trafigura.

Through the BRI, China has financed the construction of roads, reservoirs, railways, tech centers, and other infrastructure in Africa worth hundreds of billions of dollars since 2013.

Critics say the BRI has forced Africa into a “debt trap,” with the continent owing China a combined $73 billion.

Nevertheless, 52 of Africa’s 54 countries have BRI agreements with China.

The Next Administration

While Biden aims to strengthen relations with Africa and ensure the Lobito Corridor project thrives, it’s uncertain how U.S.-Africa relations will evolve under the next administration.

With 19 days remaining until the 2024 election, neither Vice President Kamala Harris nor former President Donald Trump have shared their strategies for Africa.

“None of us really know what Trump or Harris is going to do with U.S.–Africa relations,” Walsh said.

“It’s not really been a major issue for either of the campaigns,” he noted, adding that the issue of Africa isn’t politicized and doesn’t influence American voters’ decisions.

Despite rising global demand, Africa’s full potential in rare earths and critical minerals remains untapped due to low levels of exploration.

This presents an opportunity for the United States, according to geologist Ned Mamula, co-author of “Undermining Power: How To Overthrow Mineral, Energy, Economic and National Security Disinformation.”

“Africa hasn’t done a lot of mining compared to other parts of the world,” he told The Epoch Times. “They’re relatively rich in mineral resources, and they have a lot to offer.”

However, Mamula criticizes longstanding U.S. environmental regulations that he believes hinder domestic mining operations. He argues that America’s heavy reliance on China and other countries for critical mineral supply chains poses a significant national security threat.

“Look, every continent has mineral resources on it,” he said. “There’s plenty of that on Earth. The issue is being able to mine it and process it into a metal or something useful for the economy.”

China dominates global critical mineral supply chains, accounting for approximately 60 percent of worldwide production and 85 percent of processing capacity.

Mamula, like many national security hawks in Washington, believes that while the Lobito Corridor project is significant, it is not a solution to the shortage of critical minerals and reliance on China.