US Visit: African Leaders Court Trump’s Backing for Resource Development
US Visit: African Leaders Court Trump’s Backing for Resource Development
On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump hosted the Presidents of Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, and Senegal at the White House in Washington, D.C., for a meeting focused on exploring business opportunities and fostering partnerships for resource development.
According to a report by Al Jazeera, the working lunch took place at the State Dining Room, where Trump described the visiting nations as coming from “very vibrant places with very valuable land, great minerals, great oil deposits, and wonderful people.”
He also remarked, “There’s a lot of anger on your continent. We’ve been able to solve a lot of it,” referencing a recent peace agreement signed by the leaders of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda at the White House.
Trump suggested that the five African countries were unlikely to face U.S. tariffs in the near future.
During the meeting, Gabonese President Brice Oligui Nguema expressed his country’s openness to investment, emphasizing the importance of processing raw mineral resources locally — an effort that would require significant external support.
“We are not poor countries. We are rich in raw materials,” Nguema said. “But we need partners to support us and help us develop those resources through win-win partnerships.”
Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye suggested his country also offered investment opportunities for tourism, including a golf course.
Faye said the course would only be a six-hour flight from New York and suggested Trump could visit to show off his skills.
The US President is expected to soon announce dates for a broader summit with African leaders, possibly in September around the time of the United Nations General Assembly.
This week’s mini-summit marks the latest effort by successive administrations to counter perceptions that the US had neglected a continent where China has increasingly made economic inroads.
The US International Development Finance Corporation said the meeting would provide project development funding for the Banio Potash Mine in Mayumba, Gabon, helping Gabon reduce its dependence on imports.
“DFC’s efforts not only benefit the countries and communities where they invest but also advance US economic interests by opening new markets, strengthening trade relationships, and promoting a more secure and prosperous global economy,” said DFC head of investments Conor Coleman.
The five nations whose leaders are meeting Trump represent a small fraction of US-Africa trade, but they possess untapped natural resources.
Senegal and Mauritania serve as key transit and origin points for migration, while they—along with Guinea-Bissau—are also grappling with drug trafficking, both of which remain significant concerns for the Trump administration.
