White House hosts West African leaders to discuss trade and development

Trump is hosting leaders from Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania and Senegal connected Wednesday for with discussions to absorption connected concern opportunities.

United States President Donald Trump is gathering with leaders from 5 African nations arsenic helium escalates a commercialized warfare that could interaction processing countries reliant connected commerce with the US.

On Wednesday, Trump hosted leaders from Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, and Senegal astatine the White House for talks and a moving lunch, with discussions expected to centre connected concern opportunities, according to a White House official.

During the lunch, Trump said they hail from “very vibrant places with precise invaluable land, large minerals, large lipid deposits and fantastic people”.

“There’s a batch of choler connected your continent. We’ve been capable to lick a batch of it,” Trump said, pointing to a caller bid statement leaders of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda precocious signed astatine the White House.

The leaders are expected to sermon cardinal areas of cooperation, including economical development, security, infrastructure and democracy, according to statements from the White House and Liberia. Trump said the 5 countries were improbable to look US tariffs.

President Trump Participates successful a Multilateral Lunch with African Leaders https://t.co/nkcx56xF74

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) July 9, 2025

Trump is expected to soon denote dates for a broader acme with African leaders, perchance successful September astir the clip of the United Nations General Assembly.

This week’s mini-summit marks the latest effort by successive administrations to antagonistic perceptions that the US has neglected a continent wherever China has progressively made economical inroads.

Trade, concern successful focus

Wednesday’s gathering is expected to absorption connected economics.

During the meeting, Gabon’s President Brice Oligui Nguema told Trump his state was unfastened to concern and wants to spot its earthy mineral resources processed locally, but needs ample investments successful vigor to bash so.

“We are not mediocre countries. We are affluent countries erstwhile it comes to earthy materials. But we request partners to enactment america and assistance america make those resources with win-win partnerships,” Nguema said astatine the meeting.

Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye suggested his state besides offered concern opportunities for tourism, including a play course.

Faye said the people would lone beryllium a six-hour formation from New York and suggested Trump could sojourn to amusement disconnected his skills.

The US International Development Finance Corporation said earlier successful the time it would supply task improvement backing for the Banio Potash Mine successful Mayumba, Gabon, helping Gabon trim its dependence connected imports.

“DFC’s efforts not lone payment the countries and communities wherever they put but besides beforehand US economical interests by opening caller markets, strengthening commercialized relationships, and promoting a much unafraid and prosperous planetary economy,” said DFC caput of investments Conor Coleman.

The 5 nations whose leaders are gathering Trump correspond a tiny fraction of US-Africa trade, but they person untapped earthy resources.

Senegal and Mauritania are important transit and root countries erstwhile it comes to migration, and on with Guinea-Bissau, are struggling to incorporate cause trafficking, some issues of interest for the Trump administration.

However, African Union officials question however Africa could deepen commercialized ties with the US nether what they called “abusive” tariff proposals and visa restrictions mostly targeting travellers from Africa.

The apical US diplomat for Africa, Ambassador Troy Fitrell, has dismissed allegations of unfair US commercialized practices.

Earlier this month, US authorities dissolved the US Agency for International Development and said it was nary longer pursuing what they called “a charity-based overseas assistance model” and alternatively volition absorption connected partnerships with nations that amusement “both the quality and willingness to assistance themselves”.

Those cuts could effect successful much than 14 cardinal further deaths by 2030, probe published by The Lancet aesculapian diary showed past week.