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President Donald Trump will welcome the leaders of Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, and Senegal for meetings from July 9 to 11. This gathering might seem like a surprise, but some analysts view it as a clear sign of America’s increasingly active diplomatic push across the African continent.
Just last month, for instance, the White House notably helped broker a peace deal between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. This move brought a preliminary end to hostilities that had seen Rwandan-backed rebel groups clashing with DRC troops in the east for several months.
While a separate bilateral meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in May was reportedly quite tense—with some observers even describing Trump as “ambushing” the South African leader—the upcoming mini-summit next week is expected to largely centre on trade relations and commercial opportunities. Trump has consistently made strengthening business ties a key goal of US relations with Africa, aiming to replace previous humanitarian programs and development aid.
There have also been announcements about plans for a wider US-Africa summit in September, though details remain unconfirmed from either side so far.
