By Enyichukwu Enemanna
The ravaging Hurricane Milton has prompted President of the United States, Joe Biden to announce the postponement of his first trip to the African continent.
Biden was scheduled to depart for Berlin, Germany on Thursday and then travel to Angola in Southern Africa, then return to the US on Oct. 15.
Since assumption of office in 2020, the US leader has not visited Africa on official trip as the President.
During his visit to Angola, Biden was slated to meet with President João Lourenço to discuss shared priorities and partnerships including climate security, transitioning to clean energy and strengthening democracy and civic engagement, the White House said when the trip was announced last month.
The visit, according to the White House “celebrates the evolution of the U.S.-Angola relationship, underscores the United States’ continued commitment to African partners, and demonstrates how collaborating to solve shared challenges delivers for the people of the United States and across the African continent.”
While announcing the postponement, the White House said the shift in date will enable the US leader monitor response operations for the Hurricane Milton as well as the impact of Hurricane Helen.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement, “Given the projected trajectory and strength of Hurricane Milton, President Biden is postponing his upcoming trip to Germany and Angola in order to oversee preparations for and the response to Hurricane Milton, in addition to the ongoing response to the impacts of Hurricane Helene across the Southeast.”
A spokesperson for the German government said, “We very much regret the cancellation, but of course we understand given the situation in Florida. The White House informed us in advance.”
Meteorologists and public officials have warned about the effects of Milton and have been strongly encouraging Florida residents in the areas of impact to evacuate.
