The Foreign Policy Research Institute published on 6 January 2026 an analysis titled "The Africa Blind Spot: The US National Security Strategy and the Risks of Retreat" by Christopher Faulkner and Raphael Parens.
The Trump Administration's National Security Strategy document represents a significant shift in how the United States will approach Africa in the near term. It reflects a preference for transactionalism, driven by the president's pursuit of the Nobel Peace Prize.
The limited discussion devoted to Africa (about a half a page) does not inherently reflect a lack of interest in the continent. Instead, it demonstrates that the administration's interest in Africa will be constrained, selective, and dependent on what Africa can offer in an increasingly competitive world. This effectively constitutes strategic disengagement.
The authors conclude that navigating between selective engagement and strategic retreat will not likely reduce the pressures that will draw the United States to the continent. Instead, it risks deferring engagement, ensuring that future interventions, when they become unavoidable, are costlier and less effective.
