US President Joe Biden appears to fall asleep in Angola while speaking with African leaders

Video of US President Joe Biden has emerged appearing to show the leader falling asleep while talking with African leaders.

The incident was captured at the summit in the Republic of Angola, while Philip Mpango, the vice president of Tanzania spoke.

Mr Biden, 82, closed his eyes for over a minute, appearing to be asleep as his hand started to fall.

The leader was wearing an earpiece, which is usually worn when other speakers are talking in another language; however, all participants were using English at the time.

In other footage, Mr Biden appeared to open his eyes, then closed them again, appearing to fall asleep once more.

Mr Biden is currently on a three day visit to Africa, the first trip he has made to the continent since taking office.

The apparent sleepy incident comes days after a federal judge has dismissed the gun case against Hunter Biden after US President Joe Biden issued a sweeping pardon for his son.

US District Judge Maryellen Noreika closed the case the week before Hunter Biden was to be sentenced.

He could have faced up to 25 years in prison, although as a first-time offender, he likely would have gotten far less time or avoided prison entirely.

Prosecutors opposed dismissing the case, arguing in court documents that a pardon should not wipe away the case “as if it never occurred”.

Hunter Biden was convicted on three felonies after he lied on a federal form to purchase a gun in Delaware by saying he was not a drug user in 2018, a period when he has acknowledged being addicted.

The Justice Department special counsel is also opposed to dismissing a case filed in California after he failed to pay $US1.4 million ($A2.2 million) in taxes.

A federal judge in Los Angeles has not yet ruled in that case.

The president’s decision on Sunday to go back on previous pledges and issue his son a blanket federal pardon for actions over the past 11 years has sparked a political uproar in Washington DC, drawing criticism from many Democrats as well as Republicans and threatening to cloud Biden’s legacy as he prepares to leave office on January 20.

Hunter Biden was originally supposed to strike a plea deal with prosecutors last year that would have spared him prison time but the agreement fell apart after Noreika questioned unusual aspects of it.

The US president on Tuesday ducked questions on his decision to pardon his son, ignoring calls for him to explain his reversal as he was making his first presidential trip to Angola.

Dismissing shouted questions with a laugh during a meeting with Angolan President Joao Lourenco at the presidential palace, Biden said to the Angolan delegation “welcome to America”.

- With AP