By Daanyaaal Matthews
Relations between African states and the United States have remained strained since Donald Trump assumed office as President of the United States. His administration’s isolationist policies have weakened health departments in several African nations, while his tariff strategies have cast uncertainty over the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
This raises questions about whether the ongoing Africa-USA Summit, currently taking place in Luanda, Angola, will serve as a meaningful platform to strengthen ties between African nations and the U.S., or whether it will simply be another diplomatic formality lacking substance.
Dr. Paul Kariuki, Executive Director of the Democracy Development Programme and convenor of the African Policy Circle, sees the summit as an opportunity for African states to recalibrate their relationship with the U.S. He believes that despite Trump’s controversial executive orders, he remains a dealmaker.
“As we’ve seen so far, as the year began, Trump is no pushover; he will do what he feels he wants to do, and despite the circumstances, he still wants to make deals and do business,” stated Kariuki.
Kariuki also argues that the summit could benefit the United States, offering it a chance to reassert influence on a continent that is increasingly aligning with its global economic rivals, China and Russia.
“America is finding itself in a very tight space in terms of its global leadership, in terms of politics, and in its quest to stay competitive and relevant in terms of trade in the globe. Of course the biggest threat here is that not every business goes through China, as its main competitor, and Russia,” added Kariuki.
Listen to the full interview here:
