US President Donald Trump’s mass recall of ambassadors will leave Washington without top-level representatives in more than half the countries of sub-Saharan Africa, highlighting the White House’s shift away from the continent.
Less than a year into his second term, Trump has upended US-Africa relations: His administration’s sudden cuts of aid to the continent have left dozens of countries struggling to get by, while his tariff regime has compounded the economic pressure on many.
Nonetheless the Trump administration has vied to outcompete China on strategic projects in Africa, especially those focused on rare earths — key for the defense and tech industries — the vast majority of which are controlled by Beijing.