President Trump is set to host five African leaders at the White House on Wednesday to discuss commercial investment, which is part of the administration's strategy to recalibrate its trade approach toward the continent while reducing humanitarian aid.
The leaders of Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, and Senegal will be welcomed for lunch in the State Dining Room. A White House official, who requested anonymity, indicated that President Trump sees potential for collaboration in economic investment with each of these countries. The administration aims to forge deals to expand U.S. access to critical minerals and to counter China's growing influence in Africa.
Despite Mr. Trump's optimistic outlook regarding potential partnerships, his administration's actions, including the dismantling of the United States Agency for International Development, have left some African nations in difficult positions. For instance, U.S. aid represented 2.6 percent of Liberia's gross national income, the highest percentage for any nation globally, according to the Center for Global Development.
Additionally, the president is contemplating expanding his travel ban to four of the five countries whose leaders will attend the meeting, with only Guinea-Bissau not currently under consideration for the ban, as noted in a State Department cable from last month.
This meeting follows a recent summit where Mr. Trump hosted diplomats from Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo to sign a peace agreement aimed at ending violence in eastern Congo, which included an economic component for U.S. access to critical minerals in the region.
Ambassador Troy D. Fitrell, a senior State Department official, emphasized this year's strategic goal of making commercial diplomacy a core focus of U.S. engagement. He noted that the administration has facilitated over 70 commercial deals in sectors such as infrastructure and clean energy in Africa during Mr. Trump's second term.
Fitrell also acknowledged the need for American firms to compete effectively against China and Russia, both of which are perceived to have considerable influence and aggressive financing strategies in Africa.
Currently, the United States trails China in terms of economic and political influence across Africa. For example, Gabon has secured over $4.3 billion in investment deals with China, which has also constructed the only highway in Guinea-Bissau, according to the Brookings Institution.
Landry Signé, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, noted that China has significantly outpaced the United States in establishing influence in many African nations, including those invited to the summit. He suggested that the Trump administration's approach aims to accelerate U.S. trade and investment while reasserting America's strategic presence in a region where its influence has declined.
However, some foreign policy experts have expressed skepticism regarding the meeting's purpose and the selection of invitees, observing that the leaders represent countries that are not economic heavyweights or significant trading partners in the region.
Liberia's foreign minister, Sara Beysolow Nyanti, reported that U.S. officials had not communicated the meeting's focus to her counterparts. Nevertheless, she expressed hope for a "concrete plan" to leverage opportunities in Liberia's mining, infrastructure, telecommunications, and agricultural sectors.
Last week, Liberia announced a $1.8 billion railway deal with Ivanhoe Atlantic, a U.S.-registered company, highlighting the potential benefits of the upcoming meeting. Nyanti stated, "It’s a huge opportunity for Liberia," as she prepared to accompany President Joseph Boakai to Washington.