US companies sign Africa deals in 'trade over aid'

LUANDA, June 26 (AFP): US companies pledged investments in Africa ranging from power lines to digital infrastructure at a business summit that underscored Washington's push for growth through trade not aid, US authorities said Thursday.
The deals were agreed at the US-Africa Business Summit of African leaders and representatives of the US government and private sector that wrapped up in Luanda Wednesday, the US embassy in Angola said in a statement.
Angola is the key US partner in one of its most ambitious projects on the continent focused on a railway line transporting critical minerals from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zambia to Angola's Atlantic Ocean port of Lobito from where they can be exported. It is seen as a US counterpoint to China's expanding economic influence in Africa.
The Lobito Corridor-also funded by the European Union and African multilateral institutions-aims to set up logistics and agricultural production zones.