Senegal, Gabon, Liberia… Trump hosts five African leaders at White House.

United States President Donald Trump has met with his counterparts from Senegal, Liberia, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, and Gabon.


The African leaders had lunch with Trump at the White House on Wednesday and discussed expanding commercial opportunities between the US and their respective nations.

The meeting marked the beginning of a three-day mini-summit, featuring a series of largely closed-door engagements on trade and economic cooperation, expected to run through Friday.

While details of what has been termed the “African leaders” summit are not clear, observers say the narrow selection of participants raises questions about inclusivity and representation.


Analysts argue that inviting only five leaders out of Africa’s 54 countries sends the wrong message—particularly given the absence of regional powerhouses like Nigeria, South Africa, Egypt, and Kenya, which play key roles in shaping the continent’s political and economic direction.

Nigeria, South Africa, and Egypt are aligned with BRICS, an economic bloc that Trump has repeatedly criticised.

Earlier this week, the US president threatened that countries aligning themselves with the “anti-American policies of BRICS” would be charged an additional 10 percent tariff.

All five African countries hosted at the White House currently face a 10 percent tariff.

Discussions could revolve around trade in critical minerals and possibly hosting deportees.

JUST IN: Trump to Host Trade Talks with Five African Leaders — Nigeria Not Included

A White House official confirmed on Wednesday that former U.S. President Donald Trump will meet with the presidents of Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, and Senegal for trade discussions and a lunch meeting at the White House on July 9. Nigeria is notably absent from the invitation list.

Tinubu Ignored as Trump Invites African Leaders to White House.

President Bola Tinubu has been left out of a summit at the White House, where U.S. President Donald Trump is set to host the leaders of Senegal, Mauritania, Liberia, Guinea-Bissau, and Gabon for talks on economic cooperation.

The meeting, scheduled for July 9, is aimed at strengthening commercial ties between the United States and selected African nations.

According to a White House source, President Trump will host the group for a working lunch emphasising that “African countries offer incredible commercial opportunities which benefit both the American people and our African partners”.

This invitation, it is understood, is part of Trump’s broader strategy to shift focus from traditional aid—deemed wasteful—to investment and trade deals under his “America First” agenda.

The summit comes amid a significant tightening of U.S. foreign aid to Africa, redirecting diplomatic efforts toward mutual economic gain.

President Tinubu, meanwhile, is currently on a two-nation diplomatic tour. He arrived in Saint Lucia on June 28, engaging in a state visit that included meetings with the Governor-General and Prime Minister, an address to the joint Parliament, and a working luncheon with the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States.

Following his Caribbean engagements, Tinubu is set to travel to Rio de Janeiro on July 6–7 for the 17th BRICS Summit, attending as a “partner country”.

ECOWAS Leaders Undermining Rule of Law, Falana Alleges
Senior Advocate Urges President Tinubu to Ensure Compliance with ECOWAS Court Rulings
Prominent human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has accused the leadership of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) of failing to uphold the rule of law and democratic principles in the region.

In a statement titled “End Disobedience of ECOWAS Courts,” Falana said ECOWAS leaders have repeatedly shown disregard for the rulings of the Community Court of Justice, undermining its authority and the region’s legal framework.

Falana disclosed that as of December 2024, a total of 154 judgements from the ECOWAS Court remained unenforced by member states. He noted that Nigeria tops the list with 44 outstanding judgements, followed by Togo (27) and Guinea (15). Other non-compliant countries include Mali (10), Sierra Leone (9), Niger (8), Côte d’Ivoire (8), Senegal (8), Ghana (6), Benin (5), Liberia (4), Burkina Faso (5), The Gambia (3), Cabo Verde (1), and Guinea-Bissau (1).

“With respect, the ECOWAS leaders have failed to uphold democratic norms and the rule of law,” Falana said. “Without any legal or political justification, they have treated the decisions of the ECOWAS Court with disdain.”

He emphasized that some of the same leaders — or their family members — who once defied the court have later turned to it for protection after leaving office. Notable examples include Charles Taylor (Liberia), Laurent Gbagbo (Côte d’Ivoire), Boni Yayi (Benin), Mamadou Tandja (Niger), Blaise Compaoré (Burkina Faso), and Mrs. Doe, widow of former Liberian president Samuel Doe.

Nigeria’s Responsibility
Falana, who previously served as President of the West African Bar Association, said Article 24 of the ECOWAS Court mandates each member state to designate a national authority responsible for enforcing court decisions. In 2014, Nigeria appointed its Attorney-General for this role.

He called on President Bola Tinubu to instruct Attorney-General Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) to immediately begin implementing the court’s decisions.

“It is the height of embarrassment that Nigeria, under the current ECOWAS Chairmanship of President Tinubu, leads in the number of unenforced judgements,” Falana said. “To restore credibility and regional leadership, Nigeria must comply without further delay.”

Tinubu’s ECOWAS Legacy
President Tinubu, who currently serves as Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, recently praised the bloc’s achievements during its 50th anniversary celebrations, citing progress in election monitoring, mediation, and institution-building, including the ECOWAS Court of Justice.

“ECOWAS has upheld democratic norms through election observation, mediation, and institutions such as the ECOWAS Parliament and Court of Justice — cementing accountability, rule of law, and people-centred governance,” Tinubu said.

Falana’s remarks, however, suggest a stark contrast between rhetoric and reality, as he urged West African leaders to stop undermining the very institutions they claim to support.