The Trump administration has provided a $99.6 million loan to Africell, a U.S.-owned cell phone network operator in Africa, to bolster American technology's presence on the continent. Africell announced the loan from the U.S. Export-Import Bank on Friday, stating it would "boost U.S.-based employment in the telecommunications sector and strengthen American technology leadership abroad."
The funding will enable Africell to invest in American and European technology for its operations, particularly in Angola. Africell also operates in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, and The Gambia.
This initiative comes amid broader efforts by the Trump administration to counter China's influence in Africa. The U.S. has expressed national security concerns regarding Huawei, the world's largest telecommunications network equipment supplier, which has supplied over half of Africa's 4G and 5G network infrastructure. The U.S. has actively lobbied allies to avoid using Huawei's products and has pursued legal action against the company, which Huawei denies.
The administration has also sought to limit China's sway in other African sectors, including the extraction of critical minerals essential for electronics and defense systems.