Particle.news
Download on the App Store
27 ARTICLES
·
6d ago

Trump Hosts West African Leaders to Launch Trade-First Africa Policy

Officials are racing to turn summit proposals into investment and security agreements ahead of quarterly White House dialogues.

President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House, Tuesday, July 8, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Excavators to be exported to Africa are seen waiting to be loaded on a cargo ship at a port in Yantai, in eastern China's Shandong province, on March 7, 2025.
A view of a train loaded with iron ore at the ArcelorMittal iron ore mine in Mount Nimba, Liberia, June 11, 2021.
An aerial view show trucks loading sand from a quarry on the outskirts of Nouakchott, Mauritania, on March 14, 2023.

Overview

  • The July 9 lunch brought together the presidents of Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania and Senegal for a shift from development aid to performance-based commercial diplomacy.
  • The administration dissolved USAID in early July to replace charity-based assistance with private investment partnerships tied to market reforms and deal-making metrics.
  • Senior U.S. officials identified underexploited mineral resources—including Gabon’s manganese and uranium—among key assets for securing critical supply chains against Chinese and Russian competitors.
  • Discussions covered enhanced security cooperation on drug trafficking, counter-terrorism and management of migration routes from West Africa.
  • Officials are now negotiating concrete investment deals, planning quarterly White House dialogues and reviewing visa reciprocity metrics ahead of a larger U.S.-Africa summit in September.