In an interview with Lusa, James Story, who took over as interim head of the US diplomatic mission in October 2024, after the departure of ambassador Tulinabo Mushingi, stressed that “the US commitment to Africa is here to stay” and that Angola remains a priority, even after the recent change of administration in the United States, with the return of Donald Trump to the White House.
“I think the relationship between the United States and Angola is very good. Obviously, any administration will have a change. We are in the process of reviewing the projects that were done for USAID [United States Agency for International Development] and [evaluating] how the State Department can do these projects in the future. But the commitment to Africa remains,” he assured.
In the first days of his second term, Trump suspended all international aid for 90 days, and stopped funding to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), ordering a review of all supported projects.
On a historic visit to Angola in December 2024, former US President Joe Biden declared that “Africa is the future”, a strategic vision that, according to James Story, remains, with a focus on public-private partnerships.
“The United States wants to be Angola’s number one partner. Working with Angola, with the Angolan people and also with other international partners,” he stressed.
In this context, the diplomat highlighted the recent visit to the Lobito Corridor — a railway infrastructure that crosses Angola to the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, supported by Washington and the European Union within the framework of the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII) —, organized by the USA with the presence of more than a dozen European ambassadors.
“The opportunities are enormous,” he stressed, emphasizing that the objective is to support national development and guarantee access to critical minerals essential for the 21st century economy, as well as increase trade and establish partnerships.
According to James Story, the new Trump administration is committed to strengthening the relationship with Angola and carrying out the projects already announced. “We want to see projects come to fruition,” he stressed.
Another highlight that signals the importance given to Angola on Washington's international agenda is the holding in Luanda, between June 22 and 25, of an international business summit that will bring together government, business and institutional representatives from 40 countries.
The 17th US-Africa Business Summit 2025 will bring together more than 2,500 national and foreign companies in the capital and the meeting will be attended by senior US administration officials, the diplomat said, without giving names.
James Story bids farewell to Angola after seven months as US chargé d'affaires, in a period marked by the transition in the White House, trade wars and questions about the US strategy for Africa and projects such as the Lobito Corridor.
Story will be replaced by Jeremey Neitzke, currently deputy chief of the U.S. diplomatic mission in Mozambique.
