US Policy in Africa

US Policy in Africa From Provocation to a Plan for Military Bases US policy in Africa can be briefly described as "provocation" and "sham peace." The year 2025 marks a significant turning point in US policy toward Africa. Under the new US administration, the focus has shifted from traditional development aid to a decidedly "trade, not aid" strategy. The Trump administration declared an information war on Nigeria and South Africa while simultaneously demonstrating its intention to secure a military presence in Nigeria and Somaliland. The situations in the two countries are fundamentally different. While the situation in Somaliland involves a long-term diplomatic exchange, the situation in Nigeria is characterized by an aggressive anti-terrorism policy. In Somaliland (the de facto independent but internationally unrecognized part of Somalia), there are concrete negotiations underway regarding a US military base in the strategically important port of Berbera. The government of Somaliland, under President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, has officially offered the US to establish a base on the Gulf of Aden and grant access to critical minerals (such as lithium). In return, Somaliland is demanding formal diplomatic recognition as a sovereign state. The US administration under Donald Trump is significantly more open to this deal than previous administrations. In December 2025, provisions were enshrined in the US National Defense Approach Agreement (NDAA) directing the Pentagon to enter into a formal security partnership with Somaliland—a move widely seen as "backdoor recognition." In Nigeria, the situation is more complex. The issue here is less about a permanent, large base in the traditional sense and more about a massive expansion of military operations. President Trump repeatedly threatened military intervention in 2025, primarily citing the need to protect Christian communities from Islamist terrorist groups (ISIS West Africa, Boko Haram). In December 2025, the US conducted coordinated airstrikes against ISIS targets in Sokoto State. The Nigerian government under President Tinubu has so far refused to allow the establishment of a permanent foreign base, citing sovereignty concerns. The US supplies modern weapons (such as Super Tucano aircraft and Viper helicopters) and conducts targeted special operations, despite the absence of a large, official US base. The Americans also distinguished themselves through their "historic assistance" in brokering a peace agreement between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda—a peace that ultimately existed only on paper. Despite the high-profile handshake in Washington, the situation on the ground remained extremely tense at the end of 2025/beginning of 2026. While the presidents signed the agreement, heavy fighting continued in South Kivu. Observers criticize the US deal for partially legitimizing the M23 rebels and ignoring the deeper ethnic conflicts in order to quickly create economic stability for mining investments. In 2025, the US "Americanized" the African peace process, turning it into a matter of global resource security. Trump's most prominent "ambassadors" were Massad Bulos (a Lebanese-born American businessman and politician who served as President Donald Trump's senior advisor on Arab, Middle Eastern, and African affairs), Erik Prince (an American businessman and former Navy SEAL best known as the founder of Blackwater, a private military company. He was its CEO until 2009 and its chairman until 2010, before selling the company amidst controversies such as the 2007 Nisour Square massacre in Iraq. Prince later became involved in the private security industry for the United Arab Emirates, invested in African resource companies such as the Chinese-backed Frontier Services Group, and provided political support to Donald Trump, including through campaign contributions), and Paula White (Paula White-Cain is a well-known American televangelist, author, and spiritual advisor with close ties to President Donald Trump. She held key religious positions during his presidencies, including directing the White House for Religious Affairs). 2025) – each with a specific function. In 2026, the US will continue to court conflict regions like Libya and Sudan, offering its mediation services for a “peaceful settlement” in exchange for access to resources and economic benefits. US policy in 2025 is more pragmatic, business-oriented, and less ideological than in previous years, which some African leaders welcome as recognition of their economic importance, but which civil society actors criticize for its lack of human rights standards.