🇺🇸🇸🇳 US-Africa Summit: Trump Courts Five African Leaders with Trade, Minerals & Military Base Talks
US President Donald Trump kicked off a three-day summit in Washington DC with the leaders of Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, and Senegal, branding it as a “tremendous commercial opportunity” in line with his “trade, not aid” doctrine.
All five countries currently face 10% tariffs on exports to the US — a policy they hope to renegotiate during the summit.
💼 Praise, Peace & Investment: Africa Woos Washington
The African leaders were quick to praise Trump’s role in peace efforts, notably referencing the recent Rwanda–DR Congo deal brokered by the White House. Mauritania’s President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani lauded Trump for “coming to Africa’s rescue,” while Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye invited Trump to build a golf course in Dakar and praised his golf skills.
Several leaders openly suggested Trump should be nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.
🌍 Resources on the Table: Minerals, Oil, and More
The summit saw the leaders pitching Africa’s mineral wealth to Trump and US investors.
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Gabon’s President Brice Oligui Nguema spotlighted rare earths and manganese, warning that “other countries might come instead of you.”
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Senegal pitched a vision for a “tech city” on the sea in Dakar.
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Gabon, which supplies 22% of China’s manganese, was seen as a major target for the US to counter China and Russia’s rising influence.
Gabon may also be considered for hosting a new US military base along its 800km Gulf of Guinea coastline, according to sources.
🧭 Strategic Interests: Migration, Maritime Security & Military Expansion
For Senegal and Mauritania, migration policy and illegal emigration routes to the US were high on the agenda. Over 20,000 Mauritanians and hundreds of Senegalese reportedly made the journey to the US via Nicaragua between 2023 and 2025.
With the Gulf of Guinea a hotspot for maritime piracy, Gabon’s strategic coastal location has also sparked interest in potential US military deployment.
❗ Visa, Israel, and Tariffs: The Hidden Agendas
Other sensitive topics at the summit included:
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Visa overstay rates: Gabon and Liberia may face restrictions similar to those placed on Burundi last month.
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Agoa uncertainty: Trump’s stance casts doubt on the renewal of the African Growth and Opportunity Act, which provides duty-free access for many African goods.
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Mauritania–Israel ties: The only invited country without diplomatic relations with Israel, Mauritania could face pressure to normalize ties as part of any deal.
🗣️ Analysts Speak: A New Trade-First U.S. Africa Strategy
“It’s not like before with the Democrats… Poverty reduction and development issues are over,” said Senegal’s former ambassador Babacar Diagne.
“The U.S. wants rare earths, minerals, and military alliances. It’s trade diplomacy now,” added Nicaise Mouloumbi from Gabon.
As the summit unfolds, it’s clear Trump’s foreign policy on Africa is transactional, strategic, and driven by global competition.