The quiet retreat: USAID cuts and the consequences of the America First doctrine in Sub-Saharan Africa
Abstract
This study examines how the America First doctrine reshaped U.S. development cooperation in Sub-Saharan Africa. Under Trump administration, USAID funding was heavily cut, halting programs in health, education, nutrition, and climate action. These cuts led to clinic closures and setbacks in HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis treatment. The U.S. retreat created a vacuum quickly filled by China, Russia, and other powers offering aid without democratic conditions. Aid has shifted from a global public good to a strategic tool, fostering a model of “development without democracy” that threatens governance, human rights, and the legitimacy of international cooperation.
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