U.S. President Donald Trump is set to meet the leaders of five African nations, a move the White House is touting as a major commercial opportunity. The invited leaders include those from Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, and Senegal—countries that are not considered major African economies.
The three-day summit is expected to focus on Trump’s “trade, not aid” policy. Given that all five nations face a 10% tariff on goods exported to the U.S., the leaders may be looking for ways to negotiate lower tariffs and strike deals. Talks may also cover critical minerals, maritime security, migration, and possibly the repatriation of deported individuals.
Except for Gabon, these countries are situated along routes commonly used by migrants and drug traffickers coming from Latin America. Some of them are also vulnerable to the spread of Islamist insurgencies from neighboring regions, so security cooperation to counter these threats could also be on the agenda.
Earlier this year, General Michael Langley, head of U.S. Africa Command (Africom), warned that jihadist groups were aiming to gain access to West Africa’s coastline, which could increase the risk of threats reaching U.S. shores.
Senegal’s former ambassador to Washington, Babacar Diagne, noted that the invitations reflect a shift in U.S. policy toward Africa. After taking office for his second term in January, Trump cut U.S. aid to Africa, calling it wasteful and inconsistent with his “America First” agenda. There’s also uncertainty about whether the U.S. will renew the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) later this year, which provides duty-free access to certain African goods.
Diagne compared Trump’s Africa approach to the U.S. stance on Ukraine: a focus on trade and mutual benefits. He pointed out that the U.S. could sign agreements with these countries over minerals, much like it did with Ukraine.
Nicaise Mouloumbi, head of a leading NGO in Gabon, emphasized that Trump’s interest in Africa is largely due to growing competition from China and Russia for the continent’s resources. Gabon, for instance, holds a significant portion of global manganese reserves, a mineral critical for battery and stainless steel production. The U.S. is likely keen to strengthen ties with Gabon not just because of its valuable minerals but also because of its strategic location along the Gulf of Guinea.
Maritime security is a key concern for the U.S., as piracy in the Gulf of Guinea remains a significant issue, with oil and gas tankers often targeted by pirates. For Mauritania and Senegal, migration will also be a major topic of discussion. In recent years, thousands of young people from these countries have attempted to migrate illegally to the U.S., often via Latin America. This aligns with Trump’s broader immigration policies, which have seen an increasing number of people turned away at the U.S. border.
Mauritania, notably, is the only country among the five that doesn’t have diplomatic ties with Israel, having cut relations in 2009. There are indications that restoring these ties could be a sticking point in any potential agreements with the U.S.
Visa overstays are another issue, particularly for Gabon and Liberia, which have higher rates of visa violations than other countries. Liberia may also be considering a U.S. proposal to accept deported individuals, including criminals, as part of a deal.
Guinea-Bissau, which has faced political instability, including military coups, is hoping for the reopening of the U.S. embassy in Bissau, which was shut down in 1998 after a military mutiny. President Umaro Cissoko Embaló expressed pride in the invitation from the U.S., emphasizing that it signals Guinea-Bissau’s emergence from disorder into a more stable state.
As the leaders of these five nations head to Washington, they will likely be aiming to strike deals with Trump. They’ll be hoping for more favorable terms than what occurred during a high-stakes meeting in May between Trump and South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa, which ended up souring relations. As a result, South Africa is facing a 30% tariff on its exports to the U.S. starting next month.
