The Trump administration will provide a loan of nearly $100 million to Africell—the only US-owned telecommunications company in Africa—to counter the expansion of the Chinese firm Huawei across the continent.
According to a draft document reviewed by Reuters, this will “enable Africell to invest in state-of-the-art mobile technology from US companies and other partner suppliers.”
“We are pleased to partner with EXIM to deploy more reliable and secure communications infrastructure in the markets where we operate,” said Ziad Dalloul, CEO of Africell Holding Limited.
Image source: Image generated in Midjourney
This previously unreported loan is part of a Washington-led campaign to expand the use of non-Chinese telecommunications equipment abroad.
During his first term, President Donald Trump’s administration launched the “Clean Network” initiative—aimed at removing Chinese telecommunications technologies, apps, and carriers from US and allied infrastructure—and continued similar efforts into his second term.
The US has imposed strict sanctions on Huawei over allegations of user surveillance, charges the company denies.
According to data from the research firm Counterpoint Research, Huawei holds approximately 52% of the 5G infrastructure market in Africa.
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