President Biden arrived on Monday in Cape Verde, an island nation off the coast of Africa, for the first stop of the only trip to sub-Saharan Africa of his presidency, a journey shadowed by his decision to pardon his son of tax and gun convictions.
Air Force One touched down for refueling at Amílcar Cabral International Airport on the island of Sal on a bright, sunny morning, before continuing on to Angola, where the president will work to bolster American ties.
While waiting for the plane to be readied for the next leg of the flight, Mr. Biden met at an airport lounge with Ulisses Correia e Silva, the prime minister of Cabo Verde.
The president is scheduled to arrive by evening in Luanda, the Angolan capital, where he will visit a slavery museum and highlight a new $1 billion rail corridor as a primary example of his administration’s plan to help lift the region’s economy.
Mr. Biden had long promised to visit sub-Saharan Africa, but the trip was delayed until the final weeks of his presidency. He is the first American president to travel to the region since 2015.
Mr. Biden’s departure on what is the last announced overseas trip of his time in office came shortly after he issued a “full and unconditional” pardon to Hunter Biden, his 54-year-old son.
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