President Donald Trump welcomed leaders from Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, and Senegal to the White House on Wednesday, signaling a renewed effort to reshape U.S.-Africa relations through trade and investment rather than traditional aid.
Over a working lunch, Trump highlighted Africa’s vast natural wealth, calling the visiting nations “vibrant places with valuable land, great minerals, and wonderful people.” He emphasized that these countries are unlikely to face new U.S. tariffs, even as his administration escalates a broader trade war that could significantly impact developing economies.
The meeting focused on boosting business ties, expanding infrastructure, and strengthening security partnerships. Gabon’s President Brice Oligui Nguema underscored his nation’s ambition to process its own mineral resources but stressed the urgent need for energy investment to make that possible. “We are rich in raw materials but need partners to help develop them in win-win ways,” he said.
Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye pitched his country as an emerging tourism destination — even jokingly inviting Trump to test out a golf course just six hours from New York.
As part of the summit, the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation announced funding for Gabon’s Banio Potash Mine, aiming to reduce the country’s reliance on imports and create new market opportunities in the United States.
While Trump plans a larger summit with African leaders later this year, the mini-summit comes amid rising tensions over U.S. tariff threats and tighter visa rules that African Union officials warn could undermine trust. Still, U.S. diplomats insist the pivot from charity-based aid to partnership-based investment will deliver lasting economic growth — if African nations can secure the partnerships they need.