Trump hosts West African leaders as the region reels from US aid cuts

By MONIKA PRONCZUK Associated Press DAKAR Senegal AP U S President Donald Trump is hosting five West African leaders on Wednesday for a multilateral lunch at the White House as the region reels from the impact of U S aid cuts The leaders of Liberia Senegal Gabon Mauritania and Guinea-Bissau are expected to discuss key areas of cooperation including economic growth prevention infrastructure and democracy according to a announcement from the Liberian presidency The White House has not provided further details The surprise meeting comes as the Trump administration has taken radical initiatives it stated are meant to reshape the U S relationship with Africa Related Articles Trump ruminates on past presidents and their portraits I m a frame person Trump s previous tariff push terrified the world commercial sector He s betting this time is different FACT FOCUS No weather modification did not cause the deadly flash floods in Texas Judge orders mental evaluation for Venezuelan man convicted of killing Laken Riley Trump comes to Bondi s defense amid uproar from his base over Jeffrey Epstein files flop Earlier this month U S functionaries dissolved theU S Agency for International Maturation and mentioned it was no longer following what they called a charity-based foreign aid model and will instead focus on partnership with nations that show both the ability and willingness to help themselves The U S African Affairs senior bureau official Troy Fitrell earlier this year declared that Trump administration wants to focus on eliminating contract deficits with Africa Assistance involves a donor and a recipient but commerce is an exchange between equals he disclosed Critics say that the abrupt shift will conclusion in millions of deaths A evaluation published in the Lancet healthcare journal late last month projected that USAID s dismantling and deep funding cuts would lead to more than million additional deaths globally by including million children West African countries are among the hardest hit by the dissolution of the USAID The U S advocacy in Liberia amounted to of the country s gross national income the highest percentage anywhere in the world according to the Center for Global Evolution Five nations whose leaders are meeting Trump represent a small fraction of the U S-Africa arrangement but they possess untapped natural support Senegal and Mauritania are key transit and origin countries when it comes to migration and along Guinea Bissau are struggling to contain drug trafficking both issues of concern for the Trump administration Liberia s President Joseph Nyuma Boakai in a message expressed optimism about the outcomes of the summit reaffirming Liberia s commitment to regional stability democratic governance and inclusive economic advance Gabon Liberia Mauritania and Senegal are among countries which might be included in the doable expansion of Trump s expedition ban