The report indicates that significant cuts to U.S. aid will likely lead to less favorable "strategic assets for support" agreements for low-income countries. This could make these nations more vulnerable to resource exploitation, ultimately harming local populations.

Six African nations are among 17 least developed countries that have signed lobbying contracts with firms linked to U.S. President Donald Trump since the last American elections. These countries hope to secure deals offering the world's largest economy access to valuable resources, particularly minerals or other strategic assets, in exchange for humanitarian or military support.

Global Witness, an NGO focused on combating the exploitation of natural resources and associated political corruption in developing countries, revealed this information in a report published on Wednesday, July 9, 2025. The report is titled "Revealed: Trump-linked firms cash in on mineral lobbying deals as US cuts aid."

The report states that Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Liberia, Mozambique, Rwanda, and Somalia hired lobbying firms led by figures close to the White House occupant. They spent several million dollars even as Washington slashes aid to the world's poorest nations.

The total value of contracts signed by the 17 countries exceeds $21 million. This is based on filings by these firms with the U.S. Department of Justice under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).

Monthly lobbying fees can reach hundreds of thousands of dollars. For example, Squire Patton Boggs, a firm with known ties to the Trump circle, earns $312,500 per month representing Angola. Ballard Partners, owned by Brian Ballard, a major Trump campaign donor, receives $100,000 per month from the DRC, according to the same sources.

The U.S. is the only country where lobbying is regulated by law. The growing influence of this sector on decision makers has long led foreign governments to hire such firms to try and sway American policies that could significantly affect them. Global Witness raises concerns about the broader dynamic driving these new lobbying contracts.

"We are seeing a dramatic cut in aid, combined with an explicit rush for critical minerals, and willingness by the Trump administration to secure deals in exchange for aid or military assistance," said Emily Stewart, Head of Policy and Transition Minerals at Global Witness. "These dynamics create a potential situation where dealmaking in Washington is more desperate, less favorable to low-income countries and more open to resource exploitation at the expense of impacted communities."

Emily Stewart

Access to Ports and Air Bases

An analysis of the lobbying contracts reveals that eight of the 17 signatory countries are offering new investment opportunities. Several of these mirror the natural resources deal signed with Ukraine in April 2025, which granted the U.S. preferential rights over mineral, oil, and gas reserves in exchange for support in the war against Russia.

Like Ukraine, nine of the countries that signed new lobbying contracts are resource-rich nations currently experiencing armed conflict. This includes the DRC, which is negotiating a "minerals-for-security" agreement with Washington while the M23 rebel group advances in the country's east.

Along with Ukraine, the DRC is one of the countries most affected by the freeze on U.S. aid. Last year, Kinshasa was the world's top recipient of American humanitarian assistance, receiving $910 million. The U.S. provided 70% of its total aid, primarily for food, water, sanitation, and shelter, reaching over 7 million displaced people.

In December 2024, Somalia signed a $600,000 annual contract with lobbying firm BGR Government Affairs. This occurred at a time when members of Trump's campaign team were urging the U.S. to recognize the breakaway region of Somaliland as an independent state.

Somalia, which received nearly $1.2 billion in humanitarian and security aid from the U.S. in 2023, is now signaling its openness to business in hydrocarbons and minerals. It is also offering Washington "exclusive operational control" of two ports and strategic air bases in the country.

Somali Defense Minister Abduqadir Mohamed Nur Jama and U.S. Ambassador to Somalia Larry Andre sign a security agreement in 2023

To safeguard the rights of least developed countries seeking U.S. aid, Global Witness recommends that the Trump administration reinstate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). Its recent repeal is creating opportunities for exploitation and opaque deals in fragile, resource-rich states.

The NGO also urges that deals involving access to natural resources in foreign countries be concluded transparently, with fair compensation and no coercion. It further recommends that the foreign aid freeze be lifted, especially for vital programs such as the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and initiatives led by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

Walid Kéfi