États-Unis : La stratégie de Trump pour renouer avec les pays de l'AES
"Trade, not aid": In the Sahel, Washington is deploying its diplomacy in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, with a marked interest in mineral resources in return for its support for military regimes in the fight against jihadism.
The United States had suspended much of its development aid and military cooperation after successive coups that brought military leaders to power in the three countries between 2020 and 2023.
But since the arrival of the Trump administration, Washington has now adopted a new approach: "making commercial diplomacy a central axis" of its engagement in Africa.
"Trade, not aid" is "now truly our policy for Africa," Troy Fitrell, the State Department's senior official for African affairs, revealed in May in Abidjan.
In recent weeks, several senior American officials have visited Bamako, Ouagadougou and Niamey.
In early July, Rudolph Atallah, the White House's principal deputy director for counterterrorism, visited Mali to "offer the American solution" to "terrorism."
The three countries have been facing attacks from groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State for more than a decade, without managing to stop them.
"We have the appropriate equipment, knowledge, and strength to deal with this threat. If Mali decides to work with us, we will know how to do it," Atallah boasted, according to the state-run daily.
A few days later, William B. Stevens, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for West Africa, also discussed in Bamako "the fight against terrorism" and the possibility of "private American investments", after tours in Ouagadougou and Niamey.
"Washington offered to kill the leaders of jihadist groups in exchange for American companies' access to lithium and gold," says Ulf Laessing, director of the Sahel Program at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Mali.
Donald Trump has placed the issue of minerals at the center of negotiations with many foreign states, such as with Ukraine or within the framework of the peace agreement between Rwanda and the DRC.
" Convergence of views"
A change of direction welcomed by the Sahelian military regimes, united within the confederation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) despite their claimed sovereignist policy, particularly on minerals.
"We must look at investment and the potential of our countries," Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop said in July, welcoming "the convergence of views today between the American administration and the government of Mali."
In Africa, Mali is among the largest producers of gold and lithium, the star metal in electric car batteries, Niger of uranium and Burkina Faso of gold.
"Some State Department officials, concerned about the end of USAID and the closure of embassies, have pointed out Mali's wealth of resources to the Trump administration to encourage it to remain engaged and keep the U.S. embassy in Bamako open at a time when Russia and China are expanding their influence in the region," says Ulf Laessing.
"The terrorist threat remains the main issue (...) Stabilizing the region is essential before any long-term investment," adds Liam Karr, an analyst for the American Enterprise Institute.
"American Mercenaries"
At the end of July, a Burkinabe military delegation visited Washington, and members of the US Congress specializing in "financing and security issues" are expected in Ouagadougou, after a visit to Mali in early August.
After turning their backs on France, the former colonial power, the Sahelian juntas have moved closer to Russia and its private security company Wagner, which has become Africa Corps, which helps them in the fight against jihadism.
Moscow recently announced its intention to exploit Nigerien uranium, shortly after the junta nationalized a subsidiary of the French uranium giant Orano.
Nothing prohibitive for Washington.
"Trump has no problem supporting Russia's efforts in the region. The Russians are less concerned about democratic values and the promotion of human rights, which is consistent with the Trump administration's approach to state-to-state relations," Bisa Williams, a former US ambassador to Niger, told AFP.
In exchange for minerals, "Washington could 'agree' to fight terrorism in Mali" by facilitating the deployment of "American mercenaries," such as the Russians, so as not to "have to defend this policy before Congress," she continues.
During his visit to Mali, Rudolph Atallah said he had no problem with the Russian presence, adding that the country "is free to choose its partners."
Commentaires (5)
souverainisme des pays de l'AES ça fait rire
Il faut être suicidaire pour accepter de signer des accords de sécurité avec ces américains qui, avec français et leurs désormais satellites ukrainiennes, sont les instigateurs de ce chantage au terrorisme.
C'est toi qui fait rire .Eux au moins choisissent qui ils veulent pour ce qu'ils veulent Toi , tu n 'as pas le choix , c'est le meme depuis 3 Siecles .
This do n’ont make any sense.
Fuck this type of cooperation..
You take our Gold and Lithium to leave us the blood of our Jihadistes…Nonono no.
This blood cannot feed our people, nor can lt develop our country while to draining out our resources.
Fuck this type of cooperation..
You bring investment in hot terorist areas and keep security there, to allow you to gain back
C'est vraiment triste. Des occidentaux mus que par leurs interets viennent créer une menace securitaire fictive en AFRIQUE et retournent vous dire que nous avons la solution si vous nous payez en nature ( OR, Lithium, ressources rares). Vraiment dommage; Et nous continuons de dormir. ARRETONS CES GUERRES INTERNES qui sont programmées pour nous appauvrir et FOCALISONS NOUS sur nos veritables problémes.
Ils ont chassé les français et ils ont pris les russes et maintenant ils veulent les américains franchement aucune dignité et ils se disent souverains ........
Ta gueule ! Ils n'ont pas encore accepté, ce sont ces voyoux d'américhiens qui leurs court après.
b.êtes. souveraineté ne veut pas dire vivre en autarcie. ils ont bien le droit de choisir librement leurs partenaire comm
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