By Benadeta Mwaura - Reporter
6 December 2025 - For too long, Africa has been treated as a chessboard where global powers move pieces to serve their own ambitions. During Donald Trump’s presidency, we have witnessed a stark example of this dynamic.
USAID programmes, which were lifelines for millions of vulnerable Africans, were abruptly halted. Projects supporting health, education, and food security stalled, leaving entire communities exposed to hardship.
Beyond budgets, these actions felt like deliberate maneuvers, creating vulnerability to make African countries dependent, pliable and, ultimately, controllable!!!
Trump has not stopped there. Funding to multiple African nations has been frozen, cutting deep into the progress of nations striving to develop independently.
Yet, when countries align with his personal or political interests, the rewards are immediate and substantial, deals worth millions and even billions have been flowed to Kenya, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Conversely, nations that resist or assert their autonomy, such as South Africa, has faced intense pressure.
It is a pattern of manipulation: create desperation, then offer relief, but only if countries play by his rules.
Africa is rich, not just in minerals like cobalt, lithium, and rare earths, but in human potential, culture, and ingenuity. Yet, too often, this richness is framed as leverage for foreign powers.
Trump’s actions, freezing aid, halting projects, and then dangling investment deals, illustrate a manipulative strategy designed to exploit African dependence. Our resources should empower us, fuel our development, and strengthen our sovereignty, not make us pawns in a geopolitical game.
We must ask ourselves, why should Africa’s prosperity depend on compliance with external powers? Why should we hand over decision-making on trade, investments, and development priorities?
The reality is that Africa has the potential to thrive on its own terms. By fostering regional integration, expanding intra-African trade, and pooling resources, we can reduce reliance on external aid and dictate the terms of our partnerships.
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Unity is the key. If African countries collaborate rather than compete, we can ensure that deals bring real value, jobs, infrastructure, healthcare, and education, instead of political leverage for foreign leaders.
Continent-wide cooperation can also mitigate coercion, making it clear that Africa negotiates as a bloc, not as isolated nations vulnerable to pressure.
This is about dignity, self-determination, and the future of our children. We have the knowledge, talent, and resources to chart our own path. Africa must decide who to trade with, how to manage its resources, and how to protect its citizens from manipulative global strategies.
The time has come to stop reacting to external pressures and start asserting our independence with courage! Vision! and unity!
We can no longer allow our destinies to be shaped by power-hungry leaders abroad. Africa’s path to prosperity lies in self-reliance, regional cooperation, and steadfast leadership that prioritizes citizens over coercion.
The minerals beneath our soil, the skills of our people, and the richness of our culture are not bargaining chips, they are tools to build a continent that stands tall on its own, confident! Empowered! and united!
The earlier we come together, the better for our continent’s sake.
Benadeta Mwaura is a Journalist, Media and Business Development Trainer.
The opinion expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Dawan Africa.
