WASHINGTON/LUANDA, 21 Dec. - (ANA) - The US approved a $550 million loan to Angola to refurbish a key railway line, part of Washington’s new strategy to promote its interests in Africa. The loan is part of White House efforts to counter China’s influence on the continent, while gaining access to Africa’s vast mineral resources.

 

Once completed, the Lobito Corridor will connect mining regions in DR Congo and Zambia with a port on Angola’s Atlantic coast, making it easier to transport minerals. Zambia and DR Congo produce more than 13% of the world’s copper but it currently takes weeks for the metal to reach ports. “Angola occupies one of the continent’s most strategic junctions” because the country “potentially offers supply chain security for partners around the world,” Alex Vines, Africa program director at the European Council on Foreign Relations, wrote recently.

 

The loan underscores Washington’s shift from providing aid to African nations to financing projects that align with US priorities. However, the sudden pivot to a “trade, not aid” approach has left several African nations struggling to plug funding gaps.   - (ANA) -

 

AB/ANA/21 December 2025 - - -