OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
4:10 PM – Tuesday, December 3, 2024
During a visit to Angola on Tuesday, President Joe Biden reportedly learned of the complex and unpleasant history between the two continents while vowing that the United States was “all in” on developing a new, stronger partnership with Africa.
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While speaking at Angola’s National Museum of Slavery on the outskirts of Luanda, the country’s capital, Biden referred to the history of the slave trade and America’s “original sin” of enslaving Africans.
“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.
A “significant number of all enslaved people” who came to America were Angolan citizens, Biden said in his speech. At the ceremony, three people who he claimed are direct ancestors of the first Africans in America to be enslaved joined him as well.
“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.
The president praised his administration’s efforts to work with Africa on Tuesday, citing how he had provided more than $40 billion in government investments so far and $52 billion in business agreements between American and African companies in the areas of infrastructure, telecommunications, and solar energy.
During his visit, Biden also pledged an extra $1 billion in U.S. aid for aid and drought-stricken African nations, despite how many American victims of Hurricane Helene are still wondering when they’ll receive more federal assistance, especially being U.S. taxpayers.
“Today, President Joseph R. Biden announced that the United States is providing more than $1 billion in additional humanitarian assistance to address food insecurity and other urgent needs of refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and affected communities in 31 African countries. This funding, announced during President Biden’s visit to Angola, includes nearly $823 million through USAID – of which more than $202 million is from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Commodity Credit Corporation – and nearly $186 million through the U.S. Department of State,” read a statement by USAID.
Biden began his speech after walking on stage, which was covered by a bullet proof glass casing.
The country of Angola is a mecca for gang activity and “destination for human trafficking, with both Angolan and foreign citizens targeted. The victims include people of all genders and age groups from neighbouring countries as well as Asian and Latin American countries. They are exploited in a wide variety of ways, from forced labour in the construction, agriculture and diamond mining sectors to prostitution in massage parlours,” according to the Global Organized Crime Index.
“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 continued.
As he gets ready to step down in January, this occasion could be Biden’s last foreign trip as president.
During discussions with Angolan authorities, reporters also questioned Biden about his decision to pardon his son, Hunter Biden, but the president remained silent and ignored those questions. Biden previously claimed on numerous occasions that he would never pardon his son and that “no one is above the law.”
“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 said 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.”
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