The office of Senator Ted Cruz (Republican, Texas), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy, posted on 20 February 2025 a brief account of his meeting with African ambassadors.
Countries represented at the meeting were Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Malawi, Ghana, Senegal, Djibouti, Madagascar, Zambia, Equatorial Guinea, Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, Gabon, Togo, Mozambique, Mauritania, and Ethiopia as well as the Representative from the African Union.
Following the meeting, Cruz said he intends to use the chairmanship "to ensure that America's policy toward Africa is focused on advancing American security interests across the continent, with an emphasis on countering China's efforts to undermine those interests and conduct malign activities." He stated that China's Belt and Road Initiative serves as a tool for the Communist Party of China "to lock in crushing debt and undermine the sovereignty of countries across the continent." He added that the United States has a unique opportunity to expand economic ties with African countries.
Comment: Expanding economic ties with Africa will be a real challenge as the Trump administration dismantles the US Agency for International Development, one of its most important foreign policy tools for engaging with African countries.
