Analyzing US-Africa Relations in the Trump Era: Change and Continuity

Year 2025, Volume: 2 Issue: 1, 48 - 66, 30.04.2025

Tuncay Kardaş

Abstract

This article aims to reveal the parameters of the United States' (US) relations with the African continent in the Trump era. The two main dynamics determining the US policy towards Africa in this period can be summarized as follows: (a) the foreign policy formation process specific to the Trump administration and (b) the lack of US strategic engagement in the context of the growing great power competition on the continent. In this context, the decline of the US political influence in African countries is a result of both the Trump administration's nationalist and anti-globalization ideological approaches and the fact that great powers such as China and Russia have bypassed the US and the Western bloc through different instruments. As a result of all these factors, Trump-era Africa policy has resulted in unilateralism, strategic irrelevance and falling behind in great power competition.

Keywords

US-Africa Relations, Trump Administration, Foreign Policy, Great Power Competition, China and Russia in Africa

Trump Dönemi ABD-Afrika İlişkilerinin Analizi: Değişim ve Süreklilik

Abstract

Bu makale, Trump döneminde Amerika Birleşik Devletleri’nin (ABD) Afrika kıtası ile ilişkilerinin hangi parametrelerle şekillendiğini ortaya koyma amacı taşımaktadır. Bu dönemde ABD’nin Afrika politikasını belirleyen iki temel dinamik şu şekilde özetlenebilir; (a) Trump yönetimine özgü dış politika oluşum süreci ve (b) kıtada giderek artan büyük güç rekabeti bağlamında ABD’nin stratejik angajman eksikliği. Bu bağlamda, ABD’nin Afrika ülkelerindeki siyasi etkisinin azalması hem Trump yönetiminin milliyetçi ve küreselleşme karşıtı ideolojik yaklaşımlarının hem de Çin ve Rusya gibi büyük güçlerin farklı enstrümanlarla ABD ve Batı bloğunu devre dışı bırakması neticesinde ortaya çıkmıştır. Tüm bu unsurlar sonucunda Trump dönemi Afrika politikası tek taraflılık, stratejik ilgisizlik ve büyük güç rekabetinde geride kalmakla sonuçlanmıştır.

Keywords

ABD-Afrika İlişkileri, Trump Yönetimi, Dış Politika, Büyük Güç Rekabeti, Afrika’da Çin ve Rusya

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