Trump Hosts African Leaders for Trade Partnerships

Trump Hosts African Leaders for Trade Partnerships

ESTHER SALIFU, Abuja

President Donald Trump has welcomed leaders from Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, and Senegal to the White House, signaling a shift from traditional aid to trade-centered cooperation.

The high-level meeting, held at the State Dining Room, focused on business opportunities and tapping into Africa’s vast natural resources.

Trump described the leaders’ nations as “very vibrant places with very valuable land, great minerals, great oil deposits, and wonderful people.” He hinted that the five countries were unlikely to face U.S. tariffs.

The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation announced funding support for Gabon’s Banio Potash Mine in Mayumba to help reduce the country’s dependence on imports and support local industry.

“We are not poor countries. We are rich countries when it comes to raw materials. But we need partners to support us and help us develop those resources with win-win partnerships,” said Gabon’s President Brice Oligui Nguema.

Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye also spoke on tourism, saying,
“We are six hours from New York by air. Come visit, see our coastlines maybe even show off your golf swing.”

Trump added, “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 at the White House between leaders of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda.