Funding for Premier US Infrastructure Project in Africa Threatened by USAID Dismantlement

 Railway Supply published on 18 February 2025 an article titled "Lobito Corridor Railway Project Faces Uncertainty Amid US Aid Freeze."

The signature infrastructure project in Africa of the Biden administration, the Lobito corridor railway designed to link copper mines in the DRC and Zambia with the Angolan port of Lobito, faces uncertainty as US funding by USAID and the US International Development Finance Corporation is frozen by the Trump administration.  This creates an opportunity for global competitors, especially China.  

Dismantling USAID Is Anarchy Masquerading as Efficiency

 Time published on 14 February 2025 a commentary titled "Trump's Dismantling of USAID Is Anarchy Masquerading as Efficiency" by Brian Schatz, US Senator for Hawaii and the lead Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs.

The abrupt and total shutdown of USAID reveals a simple truth: The Department of Government Efficiency is not actually about achieving efficiency.  Rather, it's about Trump trying to wish away whichever parts of the government he doesn't like.  

US Suspends Funding for Counterterrorism in Africa and Middle East

 The Washington Post published on 16 February 2025 an article titled "Trump's Global Funding Freeze Leaves Anti-terror Programs in Limbo" by Katharine Houreld, Rachel Carson, Susannah George, and Mustafa Salim.  

The Trump administration's suspension of funding for the Anti-Terrorism Assistance program is leaving ongoing training programs in countries like Somalia in limbo.  This provides an opportunity for terrorist groups such as al-Shabaab to step up their efforts to topple legitimate governments.  

Kenya: US to Finance Expressway to Compete with Chinese Railway

 Nairobi Wire published on 6 February 2025 an article titled "US-Backed Ksh452B Usahihi Expressway Gains Momentum" by Richard Kamau.  

Everstrong Capital, a US-backed infrastructure investment firm, announced its intention to secure funding for a $3.5 billion expressway between Nairobi and the port of Mombasa on the Indian Ocean coast.  The road would run parallel to the Chinese-built and financed standard gauge railway.  Many Kenyan manufacturers prefer trucking over the railroad due to cost, flexibility, and the limitations of the railway system.  

Marco Rubio Oversees Dismantlement of USAID

 The Washington Post published on 14 February 2025 an article titled "How Rubio, Once an Avid USAID Supporter, Came to Oversee Its Gutting" by Michael Kranish.  

Secretary of State Marco Rubio was until recently a strong supporter of USAID.  As its acting administrator, he is now charged with overseeing its dismantlement, a task that has been given to deputy administrator Pete Marocco, a first-term Trump appointee.  

Morocco Becomes Hub for Chinese Investment

 Morocco World News published on 14 February 2025 an article titled "Ambassador: Morocco Becoming Strategic Hub for Chinese Investment" by Adil Faouzi.

Taking advantage of Morocco's proximity to Europe and favorable trade agreements with the European Union and the United States, the country is becoming a major investment center for Chinese companies.  

Dismantling USAID Sets Back US Digital Standard Setting

 The American Security Project published on 10 February 2025 a commentary titled "The Unseen Cost of Dismantling USAID: A Strategic Setback for U.S. Tech Leadership" by Sam Dumesh.

USAID has been a driver of embedding US standards for digital and financial systems into emerging markets before China-backed systems can take hold.  The dismantlement of USAID digital programs threatens to end this tool of American foreign policy.  

Sudan Armed Forces Advance in Khartoum; Russia May Be Closer to Base in Port Sudan

 The American Enterprise Institute's Critical Threats Africa File published on 13 February an article titled "SAF Announces Government Plan and Russian Naval Base."

The Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) has recaptured nearly all of the capital city of Khartoum from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).  SAF leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan is preparing to form a technocratic government after it completes a takeover of the capital.  The RSF still controls much of western Sudan.  

The door may finally be open to Russia to establish a long-discussed naval base at Port Sudan, the SAF's current capital, following US sanctions on the SAF and its leader.

Chinese Retailers in Africa: Loved by Consumers Hated by Local Competition

 The Guardian published on 12 February 2025 an article "Fair and Square? Chinese Retail Chain's Expansion Rankles Kenyan Rivals" by Carlos Mureithi.  

The expansion of China Square retail chain in Nairobi pleases Kenyan consumers because of its low prices but angers local Kenyan retailers who argue China has created an unequal playing field.  China Square is now operating across Africa.  

The Demise of USAID and DOGE Doggerel

 Mother Jones published on 13 February 2025 a commentary titled "Chaos, Harassment, and Unpaid Bills: Inside Elon Musk's War on USAID" by Tim Murphy and Abby Vesoulis.  

The commentary describes what USAID and its employees have suffered since Elon Musk and his DOGE mercenaries have done to harm the future of American foreign aid and the people who implement it. 

Letter from Former Senior Federal Officials Urging Reversal of USAID Dismantlement

 US News & World Report published on 13 February 2025 an article titled "Warning of 'Tragedy,' Former Feds Plead with Congress to Scrap Trump's Foreign Aid Freeze" by Elliott Davis Jr.

More than 200, me included, former senior officials in the field of international affairs sent a letter to Congressional leaders on 12 February urging "recission of the Trump administration executive orders and directives aimed at freezing U.S. foreign assistance and dismantling USAID."

The Islamic State Regroups in Somalia

 The Washington Post posted on 11 February 2025 (front page of the 12 February paper edition) an article titled "The Islamic State Has Regrouped in Somalia -- And It Has Global Ambitions" by Katharine Houreld.  

The Islamic State's Somali branch has become its new operational and financial hub with estimates of as many as 1,000 militants under its command.  In 2015, the Islamic State broke from the better-known Al-Shabaab terrorist group in Somalia and its aspirations are larger.  Islamic State militants come from a variety of countries and the Somali branch provides funding for like-minded groups throughout the region. Its base of operations is the Puntland region of Somalia.     

The Plight of USAID Staff Overseas

 The Associated Press published on 12 February 2025 an article titled "USAID Staffers Describe Colleagues Abandoned in Violence in Congo as DOGE Ends Assistance Programs" by Ellen Knickmeyer.

The article describes the plight of USAID staff forced to leave the Democratic Republic of Congo and the status of USAID staff generally, especially those left on their own overseas.  

The Negative Effects of Dismantling USAID

 The New York Times published on 12 February 2025 a commentary titled "The U.S.A.I.D. Chaos Already Has Dire Effects" by Nicholas Kristof.

The dismantling of USAID has resulted in accounts of mayhem flowing in from around the world.  Yet, Elon Musk does not seem to have verified a single case of fraud so far.  He has arguably found cases of waste, but nothing like the $489 million in food aid that has been left rotting because of the Trump administration's decision to leave the program in limbo.   

China Builds Space Alliances in Africa

 Reuters published on 11 February 2025 a special report titled "China Builds Space Alliances in Africa as Trump Cuts Foreign Aid" by Joe Roulette, Eduardo Baptista, Sara El Safty, and Joe Brock.

China has forged nearly two dozen pacts with African countries in its bid to surpass the US in space investments in satellites and infrastructure.  This is winning friends and giving China more eyes on the skies as the US slashes foreign aid for developing countries.

The space equipment that Beijing is placing in developing countries may help China create a global surveillance network.  China has democratized space to enhance its authoritarian capabilities, and it is doing so effectively.  As China advances its relationships in Africa with technology incentives, the US is pulling back.   

USAID Dismantlement Goes Forward in Spite of Errors by Department of Justice

 Newsweek published on 11 February 2025 an article titled "Trump Administration Admits It Made Significant Errors in Dismantling USAID" by Martha McHardy.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has acknowledged making 2 factual errors in an initial court hearing for the lawsuit contesting the dismantlement of USAID.  While DOJ has corrected the errors, Elon Musk and the Trump administration are going forward with the dismantlement of USAID.  President Trump writes on Truth Social "close it down."  

Can China Replace the West in the Sahel of Africa?

 The Conversation published on 10 February 2025 a commentary titled "Power Vacuum in West Africa's Sahel: 3 Ways China Could Fill the Gap as West Exits" by Abdul-Gafar Tobi Oshodi, Lagos State University.

As France and the United States pull back or are forced out of Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, Senegal, and Cote d'Ivoire, Beijing could take advantage by expanding investment in critical minerals, resolving the internal crisis in ECOWAS, and increasing arms sales in the region.  

Turkey Is Building a Spaceport in Somalia

 The Economist posted on 6 February 2025 an article titled "Turkey Is Building a Spaceport in Somalia."

The Turkish Space Agency was founded in 2018, and in 2021 President Recep Erdogan announced a ten-year plan for space, including home-made satellites and a moon landing.  In December 2024, the government began work on a spaceport in Somalia, a project that has been projected to cost $350 million.  Space is a matter of national prestige for Erdogan, but it is also an important auxiliary to the booming Turkish defense industry.  

We Need USAID to Compete with China

 Newsweek published on 10 February 2025 a commentary titled "We Need USAID To Compete with China" by Raja Krishnamoorthi, Member of Congress.  

The decision by the Trump administration to dismantle USAID severely kneecaps the United States as it competes with China.  USAID is the ground game against China's Belt and Road Initiative.  It supports American companies overseas as they compete with Chinese companies.  USAID's contribution to preventing death and destruction decreases the likelihood of destabilized areas being influenced by China.

A Former Republican USAID Administrator: Don't Gut the Organization

 Foreign Affairs published on 7 February 2025 an article titled "Don't Gut USAID" by Andrew Natsios, administrator of USAID during the George W. Bush administration.  

The author argues the Trump administration stop work order for USAID has paralyzed US aid programs around the world, bankrupting fragile local aid groups and small businesses and putting lives at risk.  Simply slashing vital programs is a huge mistake, but a far-reaching review and restructuring of US foreign aid is overdue.  If USAID disappears, the Trump administration will cede the field to China and Russia.  

American Foreign Aid: Where It Goes and Why

 The Wall Street Journal published on 10 February 2025 an article titled "How Much the U.S. Spent on Foreign Aid--and Where It Went" by Gabriele Steinhauser and Ming Li.

This is a useful analysis of the money spent by the United States Agency for International Development that the Trump administration is in the process of dismantling. It explains where the money goes, how it compares to foreign aid from other countries, how it is distributed, and which countries receive most of it.  

American Ambassadors in Africa Protest USAID Dismantlement

 The New York Times published on 8 February 2025 an article titled "Ambassador Tells Marco Rubio U.S.A.I.D. Cuts Would Cause 'Major Vulnerability' in Africa" by Edward Wong.

US ambassador to Mozambique, Peter Vrooman, sent an urgent cable to Secretary of State Marco Rubio protesting the withdrawal of all USAID employees, arguing it will be impossible to manage the complex $1.5 billion aid programs without adequate staff.  Other US ambassadors in Africa have sent similar communications to Washington.  

Inaccurate White House Claims about USAID Spending

 The Washington Post published on 7 February 2025 an article titled "The White House's Wildly Inaccurate Claims about USAID Spending" by Glenn Kessler.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt cited on 3 February twelve examples of "waste and abuse" at USAID.  A fact checker at The Washington Post determined that eleven of the twelve claims about USAID's work were misleading, wrong, or lacked context.   

Impact of USAID Dismantlement on Africa

 The New York Times published on 8 February 2025 an article titled "'We Are in Disbelief': Africa Reels as U.S. Aid Agency Is Dismantled" by Declan Walsh. 

The collapse of USAID at the hands of Elon Musk and the Trump Administration is causing African governments to wonder how they will fill gaping holes in vital health and education services.  This action is also doing irreparable damage to US policy and interests on the continent.  

Temporary Restraining Order Concerning Dismantlement of USAID

 U.S. District Court Judge Carl Nichols granted in part the American Foreign Service Association and American Federation of Government Employees motion for a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) as it relates to the placement of nearly all USAID employees on administrative leave and the unwarranted evacuation of USAID employees and their families from overseas.  The TRO will remain in effect until 14 February.

The order temporarily halts the placement of all USAID employees on administrative leave and recall efforts as the plaintiffs continue to pursue litigation.  Judge Nichols ordered the government to reinstate all USAID employees currently on administrative leave, granting those employees complete access to email, payment, and security notification systems. As this is a temporary order, this matter is far from over.