Bottom line: President Trump hosted leaders from only five African nations this week—Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, and Senegal—in a targeted effort to expand commercial partnerships and counter Chinese influence, while notably excluding Africa’s major economies that are aligned with BRICS.
A Deliberately Limited Guest List
The White House hosted what it called an “African leaders” summit this week, but only five countries from the continent’s more than 50 nations received invitations. Trump brought together the presidents of Mauritania, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Senegal, and Gabon for a discussion focused on “commercial opportunities” during a working lunch in the State Dining Room.
The selective nature of the summit was strategic. Africa’s major economies—South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, and Ethiopia—were conspicuously absent. These nations are allied with BRICS, the group of emerging economies that includes America’s adversaries Russia and China. As one expert noted, these five invited countries represent “low-hanging fruit” in Trump’s quest to counter Chinese and Russian influence.
Trump’s Business-First Agenda
During the meeting, Trump praised the region’s potential, saying “There’s great economic potential in Africa, like few other places,” while touting the continent’s “very valuable lands, great minerals, great oil deposits.”
The African leaders seemed eager to reciprocate Trump’s enthusiasm. During the lunch, each leader went around the table thanking Trump for his invitation, prompting the president to respond: “I didn’t know I’d be treated this nicely. This is great. We could do this all day long.”
Gabon’s President Brice Oligui Nguema emphasized their collective wealth: “We are not poor countries. We are rich countries when it comes to raw materials. But we need partners to support us and help us develop those resources with win-win partnerships.” He also encouraged Trump to buy directly from their governments rather than through intermediary companies.
Strategic Resource Competition
The timing reflects broader geopolitical concerns. Trump’s administration recently brokered a peace deal between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo—widely seen as a prelude to securing rare earth minerals deals. When discussing that agreement, Trump told reporters the accord allows the US to get “a lot of the mineral rights from the Congo.”
Each of the five invited nations possesses significant mineral wealth:
- Gabon: Rich in manganese, uranium, oil, and gas
- Guinea-Bissau: Contains gold and potential offshore oil deposits
- Mauritania: Has iron ore and gold reserves
- Senegal: Possesses phosphate, zircon, and titanium
- Liberia: Contains iron ore and diamond deposits
China’s Established Presence
The summit underscores how far behind the US has fallen in Africa. According to the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, in 2003, 18 African countries (35%) traded more with China than the United States. By 2023, this number jumped to 52 out of 54 African countries (97%).
China has already secured significant positions with several summit participants. Gabon supplies 22% of China’s manganese imports and signed over $4.3 billion in investment deals with the country last year. In Guinea-Bissau, China has built the country’s only highway, its key fishing port, and much of its core infrastructure.
The competition extends beyond economics. China recently announced it would halt charges on imports for nearly all its African partners, softening the impact of US tariffs on Africa. Meanwhile, Russia has expanded its military presence across the continent.
A New Diplomatic Model
This approach marks a significant shift from previous US engagement with Africa. Trump has terminated the US Agency for International Development (USAID), with Secretary of State Marco Rubio stating that “the countries that benefit the most from our generosity usually fail to reciprocate.”
Christopher Afoke Isike, a professor at the University of Pretoria, describes this as “a new US diplomatic model—one that is transactionally tied to economic reform and trade outcomes for the US.” He notes that Trump appears focused on “enabling Africa to be self-reliant” not out of altruism, but because he “doesn’t have patience with countries that only want handouts from the US.”
Beyond Minerals: Migration and Security
The summit’s agenda extended beyond resource extraction. The West and Central African nations are common departure points for would-be migrants to the US. Last year, the US saw an increasing number of African migrants at its southern border—rising from just over 13,000 in 2022 to 58,462 in 2023, with nationals from Mauritania and Senegal topping the list.
Gabon’s president also addressed his country’s efforts to combat piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, telling Trump: “We can’t do it alone. We need a reliable and strong partner that is committed and that takes real action.”
Looking Ahead
Trump is expected to announce dates for a broader summit with African leaders, possibly in September around the time of the United Nations General Assembly. However, the selective nature of this week’s gathering signals that future US-Africa engagement will likely be conditional on countries’ willingness to align with American commercial and strategic interests.
As one analyst observed, this represents “a high-stakes gamble that aligns with America’s goal to reset its influence in Africa through investment but also to counter China and foster economically self-reliant African partners.” Whether this transactional approach can effectively compete with China’s more comprehensive engagement strategy across the continent remains to be seen.
