“Trade, not aid”: Trump Hosts Five African Leaders in Washington

Intelligence Update

In a rare diplomatic move, U.S. President Donald Trump hosted leaders from Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania and Senegal at the White House for a three-day summit that began with a working lunch in the State Dining Room on 09 July 2025. The White House described the meeting with President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema of Gabon, President Joseph Boakai of Liberia, President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani of Mauritania, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye of Senegal and President Umaro Cissoko Embaló of Guinea-Bissau as a push to deepen "commercial opportunities" between the United States and African nations and replace aid with trade. From 09-11 July, the leaders sat down for a high-stakes summit designed to reassess American influence across a continent. Each of these countries is currently facing a 10% tariff on exports to the U.S. 

The Washington meeting

During a televised lunch at the White House, the five leaders lavished President Trump with praise -something which he thoroughly enjoyed - while encouraging U.S. economic partnership. Mauritania’s President Ghazouani praised Trump for his role in the DR Congo and Rwanda peace deal. At the same time, Senegalese President Faye complimented his golf skills, inviting him to build a golf course in Senegal. Some even suggested he should be nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. The African leaders used the meeting as an opportunity to highlight their countries’ natural resources and raw materials in an attempt to attract U.S. investment.

It is worth noting that none of the larger and fastest-growing African economies and longtime U.S. allies such as South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, Ethiopia and Ghana were invited to the meeting. Critics also raised eyebrows about why the five countries, which have relatively smaller economies, were invited. For example, President Embaló’s term officially expired in February, yet he remains in office, and the fate of Guinea-Bissau’s December elections remains uncertain. Back home, his supporters have touted the meeting with Trump as a rubber stamp of his grip on power. Also, Guinea-Bissau was labelled a "narco-state" by the United States and the United Nations several years ago, as it was once a major transit hub for cocaine from Latin America to Europe and North America.

Aside from trade, migration is a key issue that is expected to be discussed during the summit. Some international media outlets reported that a plan for the five African countries to accept migrants from other countries when they are deported by the U.S. was presented to the leaders. Since returning to office in January 2025, the Trump administration has ramped up efforts to deport thousands of undocumented people as pledged in his campaign to crack down on illegal immigration. Mauritania and Senegal are major departure points for African migrants heading to the Americas through Central America. Gabon and Liberia are two of the top countries where their nationals have overstayed their visas. Maritime security in the piracy-prone Gulf of Guinea and potential U.S. military expansion on the continent are also expected to be discussed.

Recent Trump policies toward Africa

The announcement of the meeting came as a surprise, as the Trump administration has taken drastic steps to adjust its policies towards Africa as part of its "America First" agenda. In his second term, the U.S. president implemented deep cuts to U.S. foreign aid following the dissolution of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Foreign assistance to Africa provided aid with a variety of focuses, including economic development, education, health, peace and security, democracy and human rights. Egypt, Ethiopia, Somalia, Nigeria, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have received the most aid over the years. In the global fund to fight AIDS, USAID distributed funds for the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). The cuts forced health centres to shut down and created critical shortages in HIV medication and contraceptives. Analysts have long warned about Africa’s overdependence on the West for assistance. The move forced some countries to take measures to address the gaps.

In another policy move, Trump imposed travel bans barring citizens from 12 nations, including Chad, Congo Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Libya, Somalia, and Sudan, from entering the U.S. in June 2025 due to the “high level of risk” they pose. He also imposed partial travel restrictions, rather than a complete ban, on individuals from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. Citizens from these nations are barred from permanently relocating to the U.S. or obtaining tourist or student visas. Gabon, Liberia, Mauritania and Senegal are among 36 countries under review for possible inclusion in a travel ban.

Transactional diplomacy at its finest

It is no secret that the Trump administration is seeking to establish transactional diplomacy, mainly focused on resources. Trump aims to secure mineral deals with these African countries through the summit. Gabon is a country rich in oil, manganese, uranium, iron ore, gold, and rare earth elements, while Guinea-Bissau holds deposits of phosphates, bauxite, oil, gas, and gold. Liberia holds manganese and gold reserves, and diamonds have been found near its Sierra Leone border. Mauritania possesses iron ore, gold, copper, oil, natural gas, and rare earth elements, while Senegal holds gold, phosphates, iron ore, and rare earth minerals, in addition to oil and gas fields.

The summit also comes amid growing U.S. concern over China and Russia’s expanding footprint on the African continent. China has become Africa’s largest trading partner and creditor in recent years. The East Asian nation announced a zero-tariff policy granting duty-free access to all 53 African countries to deepen trade ties and open the Chinese market to a wider range of African products. This comes at a critical time due to the uncertainty of the future of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA under the current Trump administration. In 2024, Africa’s trade deficit with China exceeded $60 billion. In the Sahel, western military intervention has been significantly reduced and replaced with Russian support. Russia is also a founding member of the BRICS bloc.

The exclusion of countries like Nigeria and South Africa could be a result of their ties with BRICS, which Trump called “anti-American”. Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu attended the BRICS summit in Brazil as a “partner” country, while relations with South Africa have deteriorated after the Trump administration accused President Cyril Ramaphosa of state-sponsored discrimination against white farmers. Ramaphosa was also ambushed at the Oval Office over these allegations during a state visit and was recently threatened with 30% reciprocal tariffs on all South African imports starting from August.

What is in it for Africa?

Many have welcomed a U.S.-Africa partnership; however, scepticism remains as this could negatively affect countries that are more aligned with China, Russia, or BRICS. Countries with far less bargaining power and smaller economies could be left without a share of the “investment cake”, resulting in fragmentation in U.S.-Africa trade relations. Any deal with the U.S. is likely to result in partnerships and investments within the private sector, infrastructural development, and security cooperation.

On the other hand, the AGOA, a product of former U.S. President Joe Biden’s tenure, is set to expire, and its renewal remains uncertain under Trump’s administration. AGOA grants African nations duty-free access to U.S. markets. Plans for a wider U.S.-Africa summit have been announced for September. For now, the next steps are unclear, and Africa appears to be a piece on the chessboard of a much larger geopolitical game amongst global powers.