The $4 billion project has become the Biden administration’s signature initiative in Africa, and early indications suggest that the Trump team is also backing it for its access to minerals, if nothing else.
The 800-mile rail corridor, stretching from Angola's northern border to the Atlantic Ocean, was former President Joseph R. Biden Jr.'s signature project in Africa, designed to counter Chinese influence and reshape America's engagement with the continent.
When President Trump took office this year, he moved quickly to roll back decades of American aid to Africa, raising concerns that the United States was backing away from its commitments. The future of America’s involvement in the rail project remained an open question.
But this week, acting US Ambassador to Angola James Story gave the first indication that the Trump administration is backing the Lobito Corridor project, which is expected to improve America's access to minerals such as cobalt and copper that are critical to the transition to clean energy.
Mr Storey, who arrived in Angola last October, is leading a delegation of more than a dozen people, mostly Western envoys, on a three-day publicity tour of the rail line, including meetings with local politicians.
As Mr Trump continues to build his own team for Africa, the tour provided clues about how he plans to shape his policy on the continent and how it might align with or diverge from Mr Biden's approach.
“The Trump administration is focused on doing business in favor of the United States,” said Oswaldo Mboko, a professor of international relations at the Technical University of Angola in the capital, Luanda.
