Trump will discuss ‘business potential’ with five African leaders next week

President Donald Trump of the United States will meet with leaders of five African countries next week in Washington to talk about “commercial opportunities,” a White House official announced Wednesday.

According to the official, on July 9, Trump will have a lunch and discussion with leaders from Senegal, Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, and Mauritania at the White House.

The official stated, “President Trump believes that African countries offer incredible commercial opportunities which benefit both the American people and our African partners,” in reference to the rationale behind the meeting’s setup.

As previously reported by Africa Intelligence and Semafor, the Trump administration will host a summit for the five nations in Washington from July 9–11.

As part of a drive to reduce expenditure that it views as inefficient and inconsistent with Trump’s “America First” goals, the Trump administration has eliminated large portions of U.S. foreign aid for Africa. It claims to seek to promote mutual prosperity and concentrate on commerce and investment.

The United States is moving away from what he described as a charity-based foreign aid approach, according to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said on Tuesday that the country will give preference to countries that show “both the ability and willingness to help themselves.”

Troy Fitrel, a senior bureau official in charge of African Affairs, stated in May that the new approach to help on the continent would be based on the business agreements made by U.S. envoys in Africa.