10/28/2026
WACNO Great Decisions: U.S. Engagement in Africa – Aid, Influence, and Competition
On October 15, the World Affairs Council of New Orleans (WACNO) held its Great Decisions discussion at the Alliance Française de La Nouvelle-Orléans. With some of the fastest-growing populations and economies in the world, Africa has become a central arena for great-power competition, and this session looked at what that means for the United States and for African governments.
Dr. Allison Grossman, Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at Tulane University, opened with “Foreign Assistance and the Future of U.S. Engagement in Africa.” She explained the different forms aid takes and why donors give it. She then walked through the recent changes in U.S. policy: the largest one-year aid reduction by any country, the closure of USAID and its move into the State Department, and the shift to bilateral, more transactional agreements such as the America First Global Health Strategy. She used Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe as examples of how these changes affect health programs, refugees, and negotiations with partner governments, and closed with what the cuts may mean for Americans as well, including fewer tools to fight disease and a loss of soft power.
The second presentation, by Dr. Alla Rosca, President of WACNO and Associate Researcher at Edgewater Research, focused on the geopolitics of the U.S., China, and Russia in Africa. Each power brings a different toolkit. China is the economic anchor, Africa’s largest trading partner, with record trade in 2025 and zero tariffs for most African countries since May 2026, although the era of large Chinese loans is over. Russia acts as a security provider through the Africa Corps, arms sales, and information campaigns, often paid for with access to gold and mining concessions. The United States has moved from aid toward commercial diplomacy, with a focus on critical minerals and projects such as the Lobito Corridor. The presentation ended with what this competition means for African governments, which now have more options but also more exposure to debt and to security deals that protect rulers more than citizens.
The audience was very engaged and asked thoughtful questions. Several focused on the end of U.S. assistance to African countries and who, if anyone, will fill the gap, especially in health and humanitarian support. Others asked about the different approaches of the U.S., China, and Russia, and whether Russia is continuing the approach of the former Soviet Union. The discussion noted that Moscow draws heavily on Soviet-era ties and its history of supporting liberation movements in its messaging, but its current model is quite different: it is built less on ideology and development and more on regime security in exchange for access to resources.
Our thank you
- to Alan Nobili, Executive Director of the Alliance Française de La Nouvelle-Orléans, for the welcoming remarks and for hosting us;
- to Dr. Allison Grossman and Dr. Alla Rosca for their presentations;
- to our moderators, WACNO interns Sloane Norton and Angello Mejia;
- and to everyone who attended and took part in the discussion.
Learn more about upcoming events at www.wacno.org
