According to the news of the US-based The New York Times, in the draft document prepared by the US State Department, it was stated that cutting HIV aid to Zambia would be used as a “negotiation tool”. According to the news, the US administration is considering seriously reducing aid in May in order to provide greater access to Zambia’s critical minerals. According to the reports of international institutions and organizations, while there is a high level of dependency on health aid in African countries, 1.3 million people in Zambia are directly dependent on the US PEPFAR program for HIV treatment. Reports reveal that the EU is imposing a similar model on the countries of the Sahel region.
AID IN EXCHANGE FOR PRECIOUS METALS
Over 6.7 billion dollars in support has been provided to Zambia to date within the scope of the AIDS Emergency Aid Plan – PEPFAR, launched by the USA in 2003. More than 1.2 million people have accessed free HIV medications. However, according to US State Department documents, in the new agreement, the US conditioned the health support of 1 billion dollars for 5 years on Zambia’s additional health expenditure of 340 million dollars and making regulations in the mining sector. The document also demanded that US companies expand access to Zambia’s copper and critical mineral reserves. The agreement with the Millennium Challenge Corporation was also planned to be reorganized and include changes that would lead to a US monopoly in the mining sector.
HE STOPPED MEDICATIONS UNDER FALSE CLAIM
The US’s Africa policy experienced a significant break in 2025. The US government froze all foreign aid in January 2025. This decision directly affected HIV, tuberculosis and malaria programs in Zambia. In May 2025, an additional cut of 50 million dollars was made for drug supply. The USA defended this decision on the grounds of “drug theft and lack of control”. However, according to field research by Conor M. Savoy, an expert at the Center for Global Development, this claim was not true and the US’s aim is to force the Zambian government to achieve strategic mining targets.
STRATEGY TO EXPLOIT THE SAHEL
The US approach in Africa is not limited to Zambia. According to the analysis of the US-based economic publication Semafor, the US State Department, “Access to natural resources and minerals” in exchange for humanitarian and health aid in its talks with Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. It follows a focused strategy. US Africa Bureau official Nick Checker clearly states that the goal is to weaken the influence of China, the dominant economic power on the continent. Last month, access to gold, uranium and oil clauses were also included in the USA’s African aid programs.
EU’S AID CONDITIONS WERE WESTERN
The European Union (EU) also follows similar policies in Africa. It is known that the EU has made strategic mining agreements with African countries in return for infrastructure and energy investments within the scope of the “Global Gateway” initiative. According to the analysis of international economic research institutions, the borrowing and development processes of African countries are largely dependent on the conditions of Western financial institutions, and these conditions are harsher than, for example, the conditions offered to Latin American or Far East Asian countries. Ibbo Mandaza, director of the Africa-based SAPES think tank, also reveals that Africa is still considered a continent of exploitation in the eyes of the Western world. Regarding the issue, Mandaza says, “Although the return for US or European aid is stated in technical terms in official documents, African people are well aware that this response is clearly exploitation” and states that a new exploitation model is being imposed under the name of aid and investment. It is known that Russia and China have made similar agreements to access valuable minerals on the continent.
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