Category: Politics

Policy

Will the African Growth and Opportunity Act survive under Trump?

By Luke Kilian | African Business

At the 2024 African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Forum in Washington DC, Katherine Tai, US trade representative at the time, recounted her experience at the Made in Africa Exhibition near Soweto, South Africa. “I saw first hand the variety of products from massive drones to delicious food stuffs, beautiful jewellery, really excellent Peri Peri sauce as well.

“I could see the pride the business owners have in the things that they are making, and for me it was an incredibly important reminder of the impact that AGOA has on real people and real lives,” she said.

The African Growth and Opportunity Act, which provides tariff-free access to the US market for African manufacturers, has been at the heart of US trade policy towards Africa since its approval by Congress in May 2000.

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Politics

Yemi Mobolade | The Nigerian American who is the Mayor of Colorado Springs

By coloradosprings.gov

Blessing ‘Yemi’ Mobolade was sworn in as the 42nd Mayor of Colorado Springs on June 6, 2023. This is his first four-year term as mayor. He is the first Black man and immigrant to be elected mayor of Colorado Springs and one of the youngest.

Mobolade moved from Indiana to Colorado Springs in 2010, where he started a church as part of the Christian and Missionary Alliance. After identifying a need in downtown Colorado Springs for cultural gathering places, he became one of the first entrepreneurs to invest in downtown after the Great Recession when he co-founded The Wild Goose Meeting House in 2013.

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African Politics, Policy

Africa knew Trump’s ‘America First’ pledge meant it might be last. Then came the freeze on aid

By GERALD IMRAY Associated Press, MOGOMOTSI MAGOME Associated Press, FARAI MUTSAKA Associated Press, and MARK BANCHEREAU Associated Press

Four days after President Donald Trump signed an executive order freezing almost all U.S. foreign aid, an email landed in Claris Madhuku’s inbox in rural Zimbabwe. Stop all activities immediately, it said.The message confirmed Madhuku’s fears that Trump’s return to office might affect his organization’s efforts to save African girls from child marriages.

Many Africans had known that Trump’s “America First” outlook meant their continent was likely to be last among his priorities. But they hadn’t expected the abrupt halt to foreign aid from the world’s largest donor that stops money flowing for wide-ranging projects like disease response, girls’ education and free school lunches.

Continue reading “Africa knew Trump’s ‘America First’ pledge meant it might be last. Then came the freeze on aid” →
Policy

Immigration looms large over US-Africa relations in 2025

By Alexander Tripp | Atlantic Council

With President Donald Trump back in office, Africa watchers and policymakers throughout Africa are eager to know how the new US administration will approach relations with the continent as his second term begins. Between the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) scheduled to expire and South Africa hosting the Group of Twenty (G20) Summit, 2025 will be a defining year for Africa and many are rightfully looking forward to a year in which trade and finance will be front and center in wider US-Africa relations. Yet, while those elements of the relationship will certainly come into focus, on the US political front, these issues may be relegated to at least the second half of the year. Instead, the issue area that will likely impact US-Africa relations the most in the coming months is immigration.

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Policy

African-American Diaspora Engagement at the Core of U.S.-African Relations in Multipolar World

By Kester Kenn Klomegah | Modern Diplomacy

The U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit held in Washington has placed African-American diaspora at the core for strengthening multifaceted  relations with Africa. The White House and African leaders have also stressed the importance of Africa’s voices, advocated for incorporating professional Africans distinctively within the institutional structures to deal with various bilateral issues and for making further inroads into Africa.

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Politics

Mana Abdi | Somali American legislative candidate is poised to make history in the Maine Legislature

LEWISTON, Maine (AP) — A Democratic candidate is poised to become the first Somali American to serve in the Maine Legislature after her challenger dropped out of the race.

Republican Fred Sanborn-Silvers’ withdrawal last month cleared the path for Democrat Mana Abdi in her bid for Maine House District 95. Another Somali American, South Portland Mayor Deqa Dhalac, is also running for a different House seat.

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Policy

The Good and Bad Continuity of Biden’s New Africa Strategy

The Biden strategy document fails to take a “whole of Africa” approach that Africans themselves embrace and instead reverts to the Obama-era billing of a “Sub-Saharan Africa” focus.

by J. Peter Pham Samuel B. Millner

The Biden administration’s new U.S. Strategy Toward Sub-Saharan Africa, unveiled during Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s recent swing through the continent, reflects little more than a commitment to the status quo. Despite the White House’s attempt to spin it as a “new vision for a 21st Century U.S.-African Partnership,” Africa watchers on and off the continent will note that much remains unchanged, both for good and for ill.

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Politics

Amal Torres | Somali-born Air Force veteran says Biden’s Afghanistan withdrawal sparked her run for Congress

By Joshua Q. Nelson | Fox News

A Somali-born immigrant and Air Force veteran is running for office as a Republican in the Baltimore area, explaining that the “Defund Police” movement and the Biden administration’s withdrawal from Afghanistan motivated her to run for Congress.

“The military service and government service brought me to Maryland,” Amal Torres told Fox News Digital. 

Continue reading “Amal Torres | Somali-born Air Force veteran says Biden’s Afghanistan withdrawal sparked her run for Congress” →
Politics

Nigerian, Agboola, appointed into senior leadership committee in Canada’s Conservative Party

By Ripples Nigeria

A Nigerian, Shola Agboola has been appointed by the Canadian Conservative Party to the Leadership Election Organizing Committee (LEOC). The LEOC is an important organ of the party that organises the process that leads to the emergence of party leaders at the national level.

Agboola is to represent Manitoba in the committee which consists of 21 members, including past and present members of parliament.

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Politics

Deqa Dhalac Makes History as Maine’s First Black, Muslim Somali-American Mayor

 by JACKIE ABRAMIAN | MS

In December, Deqa Dhalac became the U.S.’s first Somali American mayor, chosen by the South Portland City Council to lead a city that’s 90 percent white.

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Politics

Ghana Diaspora PAC Endorses Quaye Quartey, II for U.S. Congress (CA-27

By Ghana Diaspora Political Action Committee

To support exceptional leadership and expand political representation of the growing Ghanaian American community in the United States, Ghana Diaspora Political Action Committee USA has endorsed Quaye Quartey for U.S. Congress, representing California’s 27th Congressional district.

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Politics

Can Bethlehem Fleming woo African Immigrants in Atlanta to turn the Senate Blue?

By Ray Glier | OZY

Bethlehem Fleming, a native of Ethiopia, has carried around for almost three years President Donald Trump’s vulgar denouncement of African nations as “shithole countries.” It enraged her, but not as much as the president’s scornful sequel from the Oval Office on Oct. 23, when Trump said Egypt might just have to bomb Ethiopia’s $4.6 billion Blue Nile Dam to settle a water dispute.

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Policy

Why Biden Should Upgrade U.S. Africa Policy

BY AUBREY HRUBY | Foreign Policy

U.S. President Donald Trump’s policy toward Africa will be remembered by its tone of disrespect, from his calling African nations “shithole countries” to canceled cabinet-level trips to the region. But while he needs to restore civility to U.S. foreign policy, President-elect Joe Biden shouldn’t fully reject Trump-era Africa policy when he takes office. In part, that’s because Africa policy is unique. It has historically been uncontroversially bipartisan, and U.S. presidents from Bill Clinton to Trump have continued their predecessors’ Africa programs.

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Politics

Kenyans residing in the US narrate unique, dramatic poll experiences –

By GLORIA ARADI | The Standard

As events of the United States elections unfold, thousands of Kenyans living in America have had first-hand experience. There are some who have had a front-row seat to dramatic events.

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Politics

Oballa Oballa| From refugee camp to city council chambers

In less than a year, Oballa Oballa became a U.S. citizen, welcomed his daughter into the world, and won a seat on the Austin City Council. He expects to graduate in December with a four-year college degree.Written

By Jordan Shearer | Post Bulletin

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Politics

From Refugee to Representative, US Candidates Celebrate Election Victories

By Salem Solomon | Voice of America

He grew up in the Gambella region of Ethiopia, where he witnessed mass killings that took the life of his uncle and hundreds of others. He survived a two-week trek across treacherous terrain to reach a refugee camp in Kenya. He spent 10 years in camps where he often didn’t have enough to eat. Now he has been elected to the City Council of his adopted hometown of Austin, Minnesota. He is the first refugee, first immigrant and first person of color to serve on the council. He said he never doubted he’d reach this destination.

Continue reading “From Refugee to Representative, US Candidates Celebrate Election Victories” →
Politics

Oballa Oballa | a refugee from Ethiopia wins historic city council election in Austin

By JOEY PETERS | SAHAN JOURNAL

Oballa Oballa, a former refugee from Ethiopia who became a naturalized citizen less than one year ago, made history this election by winning a city council seat in the southeast Minnesota city of Austin. 

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Politics

Oballa Oballa and Samra Brouk | Ethiopian-Americans win Council, Senate Seats

By Samuel Getachew | The Reporter

Two Americans with roots in Ethiopia have become a City Councilor and a State Senator, achieving an Ethiopian–American political milestone. Oballa Oballa was elected to a council seat in Austin, Minnesota, and Samra Brouk was declared a winner in New York as a State Senator.

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Politics

Liberians who fled civil war elected in US elections

By BBC

Two Liberians whose families escaped civil war in the 1990s and sought refuge in the US have been elected to office in the states of Colorado and Rhode Island respectively. Naquetta Ricks won a seat in Colorado’s House of Representatives, while high school principal Nathan Biah won a state seat in Rhode Island.

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Politics

A mixed bag for African immigrant candidates in Minnesota races

By Tom Gitaa | President and Publisher of Mshale

The African immigrant community’s bid to expand its share of elected officials in the state had some bright spots and disappointing losses in equal measure. One of the bright spots was in the Minnesota legislature where the ranks of African immigrant legislators doubled to four from the previous two.

Here is the breakdown on how the results came in:

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Politics

Meet 3 Kenyans who Vied for Seats in US Elections

By BRIAN KIMANI  | Kenyans.co.ke

As the whole world turns its attention to the hotly contested US elections pitting Trump against Biden, three Kenyan-born politicians sought elective seats in the state of Minnesota. The Kenyan-born Americans were seeking to change the narrative and champion the rights of the minorities. The candidates though, failed to secure the three seats We look at the three Kenyan-born who contested in the state of Minnesota.

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Politics

Nnamdi Chukwuocha | Nigerian-American wins Delaware State Assembly

By Chidi Emenike | Nairametrics

Another Nigerian-American, Nnamdi Chukwuocha, has emerged as the winner of a seat in the Delaware State House of Representatives, under the Democratic Party in the 2020 US General elections. He joined the list of other Nigerian-Americans like Oye Owolewa and Esther Ajayi who have so far recorded success in the US 2020 General Elections.

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Politics

Oye Owolewa | Democrat wins in District of Columbia to emerges 1st Nigerian-American congressman

By Abiola Odutola | Nairametrics

Democrat, Oye Owolewa, has been elected as a shadow United States Representative out of the District of Columbia. The 30-year-old is the first Nigerian-American congressman in the country’s history.

Continue reading “Oye Owolewa | Democrat wins in District of Columbia to emerges 1st Nigerian-American congressman” →
Politics

Esther Agbaje Becomes Minnesota’s First Nigerian-American Legislator

By Dawn R. Wolfe | The Appeal

Political newcomer Esther Agbaje has become Minnesota’s first Nigerian-American legislator after winning the seat formerly held by long-time state Representative Raymond Dehn.

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Politics

Omar wins reelection in Minnesota House race

By Clare Foran | CNN

Somali-American Ilhan Omar, a member of the progressive Squad in Congress, will hold onto her US House seat in Minnesota after she won reelection and defeated a well-funded Republican challenger, CNN projects.

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Politics

U.S. ELECTIONS: Nigerian voters cite immigration, healthcare as top issues

 BY EDIRI OYIBO | TheNewsGuru

A cross-section of Nigerian-Americans and other immigrant voters mentioned immigration, healthcare and stability as top on their minds in Tuesday’s U.S. presidential election.They spoke as voting got underway in a presidential race pitting President Donald Trump against former Vice President Joe Biden.

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Politics

Esther Agbaje | Nigerian-American wins Minnesota House of Reps ticket

 BY KEHINDE AJOSE | TheNewsGuru

Ms Esther Agbaje, who contested to represent District 59B in the Minnesota House of Representatives on the platform of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, an affiliate of the US Democratic Party, has won. The 35-year-old daughter of an Episcopal priest and a librarian, both Nigerian immigrants, defeated Republican Alan Shilepsky and Green Party candidate Lisa Neal-Delgado to represent downtown and north Minneapolis in the state House.

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Politics

Motivations Vary as African Diaspora Vote in US Election

By Salem Solomon | Voice of America – English

WASHINGTON – For most African immigrants in the United States, the right to vote is precious.  Ivo Tasong, a Cameroonian American who immigrated to the U.S. in 1986, said voting is something he will never take for granted. 

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Politics

2 Americans with African Roots Vie for Changes Through Ballot Box

By Salem Solomon | Voice of America

It has been a long journey for Yinka Faleti from Lagos, Nigeria to be a candidate for Missouri secretary of state. He moved to the United States at the age of seven and years later, earned an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the Army’s elite service academy. He served for six years as a combat arms officer in the Army, including two deployments to the Middle East. 

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Politics

Nine Nigerian-Americans contesting in U.S. elections

By News Agency of Nigeria

No fewer than nine Nigerian Americans are on the ballot for the general elections in the United States. Running mostly on the platform of the Democratic Party, the candidates are bidding for different offices at the federal, state and local levels.

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