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The Hill
7 days ago
- Business
- The Hill
Trump's foreign and domestic policy goals clash in Africa — can he thread this needle?
President Trump's approach to Africa has shown potential but is reaching a critical point. The president's focus on pursuing greater economic and security cooperation with key countries has gained traction, but it is clashing with competing domestic priorities, like immigration and tariffs. If the administration cannot reconcile these goals, it risks leaving massive opportunities on the table. Trump's recently concluded July summit with five West African leaders displayed many of the characteristics of his second-term Africa strategy thus far — it was direct and transactional, with a focus on areas where interests converge. This strategy has shown substantial promise, albeit unfulfilled. For example, U.S. diplomacy between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda has, for now, limited fighting in their conflict-stricken border area while creating potential opportunities for U.S. investment and critical mineral access as part of a broader peace framework. Such access would conveniently also help the U.S. diminish Chinese dominance of several critical minerals found in the region. The small U.S.-Africa summit focused on a handful of countries — Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania and Senegal — that can provide the administration a big 'bang for its buck.' All five countries play various roles in Trump's key priorities: combating Chinese influence, stemming migration, accessing critical minerals, and containing the spread of Salafi-jihadi terror groups. They also highlight the central tension of the Trump administration's Africa policy, where foreign policy goals and domestic priorities compete. In Gabon, greater U.S. investment and defense cooperation can address two of Trump's objectives: critical minerals and China. The United States has an opportunity to support Gabonese efforts to grow its domestic refining capacity to counter China's outsized influence on the manganese market, which multiple U.S. agencies list as a critical mineral due to its role in steel production and lithium-ion battery manufacturing. Gabon has little domestic refinement capability, exporting most of its manganese to China. China has the second-largest manganese reserves and is largest manganese consumer but is heavily reliant on imports, 22 percent of which come from Gabon. However, Gabon has made it a priority to boost domestic refining capacity and courted U.S. investment to help reach this goal. Greater economic engagement opens other opportunities to counter China. Gabon is a top target of Chinese efforts to secure an Atlantic coast naval base, and the two countries conducted joint naval exercises earlier in 2025. However, Gabon's president has so far rejected China's base overtures and tried to balance ties with the West. Gabonese forces have also participated in numerous U.S.-led exercises and training programs over the last decade. Stronger partnerships with Mauritania and Senegal can also address two of Trump's other key objectives: migration and terrorism. Mauritania and Senegal have become increasingly popular destinations for migrants attempting to reach Europe and — to a lesser extent — the U.S. Both countries are also next-door to the ' epicenter ' of global terrorism, where strengthening al Qaeda and Islamic State affiliates 'could have the capacity to attack the homeland,' according to U.S. officials. The U.S. should coordinate with its European partners and build upon pre-existing ties with Mauritania and Senegal to address these shared challenges. On migration, the U.S. can augment the efforts of the European Union, which has already invested hundreds of millions of dollars into both countries to address the root drivers of migration and help security forces contain illegal migration. The U.S. and European allies should build upon preexisting defense cooperation with both countries to help address shared security concerns, especially given the terror groups increasingly pose a direct threat to Mauritania and Senegal. Looking beyond the countries that attended the summit, Trump has said he wants to revive peace talks in Sudan. Doing so would bolster Trump's status as a peacemaker, help address the world's largest humanitarian and migrant crisis, and support his Red Sea strategy by containing opportunistic Iranian and Russian efforts to access Sudan's Red Sea coast. U.S. officials should use their peace efforts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as a template and bring key external actors — namely the United Arab Emirates, which is a major U.S. defense partner and a critical backer of one of the warring sides — to the table. Doing so will help limit the scale of the violence and create space for the U.S. to bring in other partners to help engage the Sudanese factions. But amid these many opportunities to pursue peace, power and prosperity in Africa, there are clear tension points with Trump's 'America First' domestic agenda. The president's tariffs, for example, undermine his 'trade, not aid' and 'equal partnership' mantras, encouraging other countries to turn to China. Beijing continues to give nearly the entire continent no-tariff access to its markets, which helps expand the already sizeable gap between Chinese and U.S. trade figures with Africa. The Trump administration and Congress should consider ways to save and improve the African Growth and Opportunity Act, which has given African countries tariff-free access to U.S. markets for 25 years, instead of killing it altogether. Trump himself said he would 'look into' saving the program during the recent summit. On migration, some U.S. policies have further undermined Trump's narrative of an equal U.S.-Africa partnership. Multiple African officials condemned visa restrictions and tariffs as unacceptable and counterproductive during the U.S.-Africa business summit in June. This backlash highlights that U.S. officials should seek to limit the damage hardline policies in this area have on commercial and diplomatic ties with Africa. The administration's push to have African countries accept third-nation migrants deported from the United States, while threatening two-thirds of the continent with a travel ban, also appears lopsided. The administration has a chance to fine-tune aid cuts and travel restrictions in ways that support the president's Africa agenda. Saving a program like Power Africa, which supported energy and internet projects, is one clear opportunity. The United States can help African countries generate the electricity they need to boost critical mineral production and refinement and secure American access to resources in places such as Gabon. Growing the number of African student visas — where China has a numbers advantage — is another way to ensure the United States is building ties with the continent's best and brightest, as Africa's youth boom positions it to emerge as a major force in the coming decades. The first six months of Trump's second term have shown the promise of Trump's approach to the continent. But U.S.-Africa relations do not take place in a vacuum. Trump will have to continue to thread the needle between his domestic agenda and foreign policy goals to fulfill this massive potential and truly redefine U.S.-Africa relations in a way that will leave a lasting legacy.
Euronews
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Switzerland indicts two men on charges of links to so-called IS
Federal prosecutors in Switzerland announced an indictment on Monday of a Kosovan and a Swiss-Macedonian dual national on terrorism-related charges and spreading the ideology of the so-called Islamic State (IS) terror group. The 36-year-old Kosovan and the 33-year-old dual national, who have not been identified by name, are suspected of having carried out indoctrination, financing and recruitment of the Swiss chapter of a "Kosovar terrorist organisation" over the last decade, mostly in the Geneva area, the Swiss Attorney General's office said. The two men were arrested in September 2022 in connection with an investigation into their alleged support for IS. The suspects allegedly launched a drive to drum up backing and funds for a "Salafi-jihadi ideology" with hopes to destabilise Kosovo and seize territory to rule under Sharia law. The suspects face charges including participation in a terrorist group, bribery of public officials and money laundering. They are also charged with illegally drawing some social benefits in Switzerland, according to the prosecutors. The case now moves to the federal criminal court. Under Swiss law, the suspects are entitled to a presumption of innocence until the judicial process runs its full course and ends with a guilty verdict. Switzerland, whose policy of neutrality aims to keep it out of conflicts, has largely avoided the violent extremism that has swept across other parts of Europe and around the world in recent decades.
07-07-2025
- Politics
Switzerland indicts 2 men on terrorism-related charges
GENEVA -- Swiss federal prosecutors on Monday announced an indictment of a Kosovar and a Swiss-Macedonian dual national on terrorism-related charges and spreading the ideology of the banned extremist group Islamic State. The 36-year-old Kosovar and the 33-year-old dual national, who were not identified by name, are suspected of having carried out indoctrination, financing and recruitment of the Swiss chapter of a 'Kosovar terrorist organization' over the last decade, mostly in the Geneva area, the Swiss Attorney General's office said. The two men were arrested in September 2022 in connection with an investigation into their alleged support for the Islamic State group. The suspects allegedly launched a drive to drum up backing and funds for a 'Salafi-jihadi ideology' with hopes to destabilize Kosovo and seize territory to rule under sharia law. The suspects face charges including participation in a terrorist group, bribery of public officials and money laundering. as well as for illegally drawing some social benefits in Switzerland, according to the prosecutors. The case now moves to the federal criminal court. Under Swiss law, the suspects are entitled to a presumption of innocence until the judicial process runs its full course and ends with a guilty verdict. Switzerland, whose policy of neutrality aims to keep it out of conflicts, has largely avoided the violent extremism that swept across other parts of Europe and around the world in recent decades. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, with most Western nations recognizing its sovereignty, but Serbia and its allies Russia and China don't.
Winnipeg Free Press
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Switzerland indicts 2 men on terrorism-related charges
GENEVA (AP) — Swiss federal prosecutors on Monday announced an indictment of a Kosovar and a Swiss-Macedonian dual national on terrorism-related charges and spreading the ideology of the banned extremist group Islamic State. The 36-year-old Kosovar and the 33-year-old dual national, who were not identified by name, are suspected of having carried out indoctrination, financing and recruitment of the Swiss chapter of a 'Kosovar terrorist organization' over the last decade, mostly in the Geneva area, the Swiss Attorney General's office said. The two men were arrested in September 2022 in connection with an investigation into their alleged support for the Islamic State group. The suspects allegedly launched a drive to drum up backing and funds for a 'Salafi-jihadi ideology' with hopes to destabilize Kosovo and seize territory to rule under sharia law. The suspects face charges including participation in a terrorist group, bribery of public officials and money laundering. as well as for illegally drawing some social benefits in Switzerland, according to the prosecutors. The case now moves to the federal criminal court. Under Swiss law, the suspects are entitled to a presumption of innocence until the judicial process runs its full course and ends with a guilty verdict. Switzerland, whose policy of neutrality aims to keep it out of conflicts, has largely avoided the violent extremism that swept across other parts of Europe and around the world in recent decades. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, with most Western nations recognizing its sovereignty, but Serbia and its allies Russia and China don't.
Memri
28-06-2025
- Memri
Gaza-Based Salafi-Jihadi Group Solicits Funds On Telegram To Finance Jihad
A Gaza-based, Salafi-jihadi group solicited funds on Telegram to finance its jihad. In a Telegram post on June 22, 2025, the group shared an archival post calling for donations, as part of a campaign launched in July, 2024. It listed a Telegram account as a contact for donors. The full text of this report is available to MEMRI Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor subscribers. Subscription information is available at this link. JTTM subscribers can visit this page to view the report
