In Washington, D.C., the winds of U.S. foreign policy have shifted dramatically, and nowhere is this more palpable than in America’s evolving relationship with Africa. As President Donald Trump’s second term unfolds, the repercussions of his administration’s "America First" doctrine are being felt across the African continent, sparking concern among diplomats, development experts, and African leaders alike. With a marked retreat from the cooperative spirit that once defined U.S.–Africa engagement, the future of this transatlantic partnership hangs in the balance.
According to a detailed analysis published by AllAfrica, Ambassador Johnnie Carson, former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, has sounded the alarm on what he describes as a “serious blow” to U.S.–Africa relations. Carson’s assessment is stark: "Trump’s second term could deal a serious blow to U.S.–Africa relations, signaling a retreat from cooperation that once supported economic development, democratic reform, and regional security." This retreat, Carson warns, is not just a matter of diplomatic indifference—it’s a fundamental shift that could reshape the continent’s global alliances for years to come.
Trump’s signature policies—high tariffs, economic protectionism, restrictive immigration rules, and an open skepticism toward international organizations—run counter to Africa’s aspirations for multilateralism, inclusion, and global partnership. These policies have already begun to undermine relations with key African states, notably Nigeria and South Africa, both economic powerhouses and diplomatic anchors for the continent. The administration’s stance, according to AllAfrica, "risks weakening America’s long-standing ties with key African states like Nigeria and South Africa, while creating new openings for China, Russia, India, and the Gulf states to expand influence across the continent."
The contrast with previous U.S. administrations is striking. During his first term, Trump never visited Africa, met with only two African presidents at the White House, and infamously disparaged African countries in crude terms. His first week in office in 2017 saw the rollout of the so-called Muslim Travel Ban, an executive order that initially targeted Libya, Sudan, and Somalia—three African nations—before expanding to include Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country. The ban severely restricted immigrant visas and cut off access to the global immigrant visa lottery program for Nigerians, a move widely viewed as punitive and emblematic of the administration’s disdain for Africa, where Islam is the fastest-growing religion and over half the population is Muslim.
Trump’s skepticism toward international organizations has also had outsized consequences for Africa. In 2020, the U.S. withdrew from the Paris Climate Change Agreement, reversing a $3 billion pledge to the Green Climate Fund—a third of which was earmarked for Africa, the region most vulnerable to climate shocks. The administration also slashed support for the World Health Organization (WHO), the largest provider of health care services to Africa, and began the process of withdrawing from UNESCO and the UN Human Rights Council. Budget cuts to the UN’s peacekeeping account further jeopardized Africa’s reliance on these global institutions for development, humanitarian aid, and security.
But it’s Trump’s second term, beginning in early 2025, that has seen the most dramatic unraveling of U.S. engagement. Key programs that once defined America’s partnership with Africa—PEPFAR (the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief), Power Africa, Feed the Future, Prosper Africa, the African Development Foundation, and the Young Africa Leaders Initiative (YALI)—have been defunded or eliminated. PEPFAR alone has saved 26 million lives, most of them in Africa, while Power Africa connected over 74 million Africans to electricity on a continent where power shortages are pervasive. Feed the Future sought to spark an agricultural revolution, and Prosper Africa was launched to foster two-way trade and counter China’s growing economic influence. The shuttering of USAID in February 2025 further gutted development programs, while cuts to the Millennium Challenge Corporation and the U.S. Development Finance Corporation led to the cancellation of major infrastructure projects in Senegal, Kenya, Zambia, and Tanzania.
The potential end of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) has sent shockwaves through African economies. AGOA, which expired on September 30, 2025, had been the bedrock of U.S.–Africa trade relations for two decades, granting duty-free access to American markets for a wide range of African products. Its uncertain renewal under Trump’s protectionist policies threatens to cripple exports from South Africa, Kenya, Lesotho, and Mauritius—countries that have come to rely on AGOA for economic growth and job creation. According to AllAfrica, "the loss of AGOA will have a crippling impact on imports from several African countries, including South Africa, Kenya, Lesotho and Mauritius."
Diplomatic ties have also suffered. The administration is reducing America’s diplomatic, consular, and commercial footprint in Africa, closing consulates and embassies, and consolidating visa services. Nine African countries—including Chad, Congo-Brazzaville, Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, Libya, Niger, Somalia, Sudan, and Zimbabwe—have seen all U.S. visa services terminated. The State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs is without an Assistant Secretary and faces possible downsizing or merger with the Middle East Bureau. The Africa Desk at the National Security Council has already been folded into the Middle East and North Africa office, signaling a downgrading of Africa’s strategic importance in Washington.
On the multilateral front, the administration has stepped back from efforts to reform the UN Security Council to include permanent African representation, while cutting support for democracy, human rights, and women’s empowerment initiatives across the continent. Critics argue this emboldens authoritarian leaders and undermines fragile democratic institutions. As AllAfrica notes, "the administration’s indifference to human rights, women’s empowerment, and democratic governance would embolden authoritarian regimes, threatening Africa’s fragile progress in political reform."
Yet, Africa is not merely a passive bystander in this diplomatic chill. In response, African leaders are doubling down on pan-African cooperation and building stronger ties with other transregional organizations like BRICS, the G77, and the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS). There is a growing push for greater African leadership in global institutions and a determination to assert the continent’s interests on the world stage. Carson observes, "Africa is not retreating—it is reorganizing." This realignment is fostering a new sense of autonomy and unity, as African nations seek to shape their collective destiny without relying on Washington’s approval.
China, Russia, India, Turkey, and the Gulf Arab states are all stepping up their engagement, eager to fill the vacuum left by the U.S. They are investing in infrastructure, forging new trade deals, and deepening security ties. For Africa, this diversification of partnerships represents both an opportunity and a challenge: a chance to leverage competition among global powers, but also a risk of becoming a pawn in a new era of great-power rivalry.
Despite the bleak outlook for U.S.–Africa relations, there are glimmers of resilience and hope. Africa’s youthful population, abundant resources, and burgeoning technological innovation remain the continent’s greatest assets. As global dynamics shift, Africa’s future will be defined not by the policies of foreign capitals, but by its own vision of progress, leadership, and self-reliance. The coming years will test the continent’s ability to chart its own course—and, perhaps, to redefine its place at the world’s decision-making tables on its own terms.
