Overview

• After a July 9 White House summit with leaders of Mauritania, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Gabon and Senegal, the administration confirmed a shift from humanitarian aid to commercial partnerships by winding down USAID.
• The five presidents expressed willingness to open their mining sectors to U.S. investors targeting manganese, bauxite, lithium and other critical resources.
• During the multilateral lunch, Trump cut short Mauritania’s Mohamed Ould Ghazouani’s remarks and urged leaders to abbreviate their introductions, signaling impatience.
• The president’s question to Liberian leader Joseph Boakai—asking where he learned English “so well”—provoked criticism because English is Liberia’s official language.
• U.S. officials argue that resource-driven engagement will offer a more sustainable alternative to traditional aid and help counter growing Chinese and Russian influence in the region.