Semafor published on 2 February 2026 an article titled "Exclusive/Trump Advisers Refine Their Africa Strategy" by Shelby Talcott and Yinka Adegoke.
The new person in charge of the Africa Bureau at the State Department, Nick Checker, said the United States is not going to compete dollar for dollar with China in Africa on projects like building roads. The US is focused on "commercial diplomacy" in priority sectors such as access to critical minerals where it will compete head-to-head with China. Health care seems to be another priority area.
