U.S. President Joe Biden was supposed to be in Angola this week, fulfilling a pledge to visit the continent he made back at the 2022 U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit. But with massive hurricanes pounding the southern United States, the president was forced to postpone the visit.
The trip to Angola would have marked a major milestone for Biden. The southwestern African country is the showcase for the president’s global infrastructure investment program, which is widely seen as Washington’s effort to rival China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
What does the president’s cancellation of his trip this week say about Washington’s larger Africa policy? Not a whole lot, according to Judd Devermont, the former senior director of African Affairs at the National Security Council and now an operating partner at Kupanda Capital in Washington, D.C.
Judd joins Eric to discuss the latest trends in U.S. foreign policy in Africa and China’s role in the White House’s strategy.
Show Notes:
- Center for Strategic and International Studies: Two Railroads, One Vision by Judd Devermont
- Foreign Policy: The U.S. Has a Better Offer for Africa Than Debt by Henry Tugendhat
- Council on Foreign Relations: Washington Woos Angola by Michelle Glavin
About Judd Devermont:
Judd Devermont is an operating partner at Kupanda Capital. He previously served as special assistant to President Biden and senior director for African affairs at the National Security Council from 2021 to 2024. In this role, he was responsible for coordinating U.S. policy toward the region. Mr. Devermont authored the U.S. Strategy toward Sub-Saharan Africa; helped stage the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit in 2022; launched major new initiatives; and directed billions of dollars toward infrastructure, digital connectivity, and clean energy projects. Mr. Devermont was the director of the Africa Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies from 2018 to 2021. He also hosted Into Africa, a podcast on African politics and policy, and cohosted 49, a limited podcast series on U.S. strategy toward Africa.
