Foreign pool report #1 - backgrounder

Hello all and happy Wednesday!

I will be your foreign pooler for the African leader’s visit to the White House.

Today, President Trump will host the leaders of 5 Western and Central African nations: Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, and Senegal.

The leaders:

Gabon - President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema

Guinea-Bissau - President Umaro Sissoco Embaló

Liberia - President Joseph Nyuma Boakai

Mauritania - President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani

Senegal - President Bassirou Diomaye Faye

As part of a multi-day visit, the African leaders will meet with President Trump for a discussion and a luncheon which will cover a range of topics including future economic partnership. One US official told Reuters, “President Trump believes that African countries offer incredible commercial opportunities which benefit both the American people and our African partners.”

The US’ closing of international development agency USAID has impacted African countries, many of whom relied on US money to fund public services. In Liberia, for example, US support accounted for around 2.5% of the gross national income - with 48% of the country’s health budget coming from US assistance. The US has overhauled what Secretary of State Marco Rubio called a charity-based model of international aid, with the new approach favouring “those nations that have demonstrated both the ability and willingness to help themselves.” Rubio said recently that the new model would “prioritize trade over aid” and “investment over assistance,” with the aim being to target resources in areas which will spur investment from the private sector - including American companies. All five of the countries invited enjoy rich natural resources - including manganese (a critical mineral in the production of batteries and stainless steel), iron ore, gold, diamonds, lithium, cobalt and more. The US’ global

competitors - particularly China - have made significant in-roads on the continent in recent years, becoming a top trading or investment partner of many of those nations invited. Gabon, for example, provides 22% of China’s manganese used in batteries - the country holds around a quarter of the global known reserves.

For their part, some of the countries are hoping the meeting will foster stronger relations with the United States. In a post on their website, the Liberian embassy said “this invitation highlights the strengthening diplomatic ties between Liberia and the United States and sets the stage for important multilateral discussions.”

The regional security situation will also play a role in the talks. West Africa faces a very complex security situation which is constantly evolving but is dogged with threats from terrorist groups (particularly in the Sahel region), organised crime and political instability brought about through numerous coups d’état. Those coups have also impacted the security situation in the region as growing discontent led Western nations like the US and France to withdraw counterterrorism troops from the region. Liberia’s embassy says “this multilateral gathering aims to foster collaboration in addressing regional security challenges and strengthening economic partnerships […] These discussions present an opportunity for Liberia to position itself as a key player in regional stability and economic development […] The outcomes of these discussions are anticipated to shape the future of U.S.-Liberia relations and have a lasting impact on the political and economic landscape of the region.”

Mauritania also thinks that the meeting will reaffirm its relationship with the US. Diplomatic sources said “the visit of His Excellency the President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania reflects Mauritania’s commitment to strengthening its partnership with the United States. While this summit marks the first direct engagement between the two Heads of State, Mauritania and the United States maintain a constructive and ongoing relationship through regular diplomatic and strategic dialogue. We consider this summit a timely opportunity to reaffirm our shared priorities and to explore further avenues of collaboration.”

All the best,

Fraser

Fraser Jackson

Washington / White House Correspondent

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