By Enyichukwu Enemanna
US President Donald Trump is set to meet with five African heads of state from July 9 to 11 in Washington, where talks will focus on the continent’s improved security and areas of economic partnership but Africa’s most populous nation, Nigeria is missing on the list of nations expected at the meeting.
African presidents invited for the Washington mini-summit include Joseph Boakai (Liberia), Bassirou Diomaye Faye (Senegal), Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani (Mauritania), Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema (Gabon), and Umaro Sissoco Embaló (Guinea-Bissau).
This comes as the US intensifies efforts to bolster its economic presence across Africa, amidst threats to impose travel restrictions on 25 African countries, including some of those invited for the meeting.
This high-level gathering, reported by Africa Intelligence and FrontPage Africa, will also prioritise commercial diplomacy and adopt a streamlined format distinct from larger multilateral summits.
This comes shortly after the 17th U.S-Africa Business Summit in Luanda, where over $2.5 billion in agreements were reached between African and American partners.
According to a release by the US State Department, Washington aims to build on this momentum with targeted follow-up, emphasising partnerships built on investment and mutual benefit.
This, however, contradicts another developing situation where an earlier publication by Heritage Times HT indicates that the US is considering imposing entry bans on 25 African countries.
The potential restrictions cite concerns over the reliability of identity documents, administrative fraud, and visa overstays.
Senegal, Mauritania, Gabon, and Liberia, whose leaders are expected in Washington, are all on the list sent to African diplomats on June 14.
