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Sharp Shifts in U.S. Africa Relations - How Much and How Fast?

Substantial shifts in U.S. Africa relations have begun. Although the new administration's Africa policies are evolving and will take time to formulate, several of the Executive Orders Donald Trump signed right after he assumed the Presidency will have immediate ramifications across the continent.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio testified in response to questions during his Senate confirmation hearing that Africa offers "an extraordinary opportunity" for the United States, pointing to the growth in markets and consumers. But he provided no specifics of actions he might favor. He also agreed that "real genocide" is taking place in Sudan, where escalating fighting as well as sanctions imposed on leaders of the rival armies during final days of the Biden term are pushing this largely overlooked conflict higher up on the foreign policy agenda.

The Africa Bureau at the State Department is now being led in an acting capacity by Tony Fitrell, who just returned from a tour as Ambassador to Guinea. Names of prospective appointees for various policy posts, including the Africa Assistant Secretary - are floating around in Washington, DC, but no formal announcements have been made.

In Congress, the Sudan crisis is being raised by a number of members of both chambers. The new chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Idaho Republican Jim Risch, has called for a "reset" of the U.S. stance and has spoken out on a range of other African issues this month. The new head of the House Africa Subcommittee, Chris Smith from New Jersey and Ranking Democrat Sara Jacobs are also pressing for tougher action on Sudan. Smith also announced a probe of alleged payments for abortion by the Biden administration using funds from PEPFAR - the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief established by President George W. Bush and credited with saving 25 million lives.

Also on the agenda is renewal of the African Growth and Opportunity Act, the cornerstone of U.S. trade relations with the continent since 2000 which expires in October. AGOA has always enjoyed bipartisan support, but Trump's fondness for trade tariffs could pose an obstacle to passage this time.

@WhiteHouse / X

Among the flood of Executive Orders President Trump signed after being sworn in on January 20, 2025, several that will seriously impact Africa include a pause in all development assistance and U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement and the World Health Organization, along with abolishing the President’s Advisory Council on African Diaspora Engagement created by President Biden in 2022.

U.S. Embassy Conakry / Facebook

Ambassador Troy Fitrell, who became acting head of the Africa Bureau at the State Department on Inauguration Day, pictured presenting the U.S. Embassy Award for Journalism at a reception in September 2024 for Guinean media at his residence in Conakry. The embassy is investing $225,000 in training opportunities that will benefit nearly 100 journalists from Guinea and the region, he announced.

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