The Role of USAID in Africa: Insights from White Malice

 A few years ago, I stumbled on a copy of White Malice: The CIA and the Covert Recolonization, a book written by Susan Williams. The book challenged my belief about both the United States and its institutions, most especially the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Prior to reading the book, USAID, at least to me, was a force for humanitarian aid, economic development, and democracy promotion. As recent developments over President Trump’s announcement of his government desire to proscribe USAID showed, many in both the US and Africa also believed that USAID was a force for good. However, as Susan Williams revealed in White Malice, a critical reassessment of USAID’s involvement on the continent of Africa reveals USAID’s deeper entanglements with Cold War geopolitics, intelligence operations, and neocolonial control. Below, I examine the role of USAID in Africa using insights from White Malice. As I argue, USAID functioned as an extension of U.S. strategic interests rather than a purely developmental organization.

USAID as a Tool of Cold War Politics Williams’

White Malice underscores how U.S. foreign aid in Africa during the 1950s and 1960s was less about genuine development and more about containing communism. The newly independent African states, particularly Ghana, Guinea, and Congo, were seen as potential battlegrounds in the ideological war between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. USAID was instrumental in this fight, using economic assistance as a means to steer African governments away from leftist policies and influence.

The book documents how USAID’s activities were closely aligned with the broader aims of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), which sought to undermine leaders such as Kwame Nkrumah in Ghana and Patrice Lumumba in Congo. Through financial leverage, USAID worked to co-opt African elites, ensuring that their policies aligned with Western capitalist interests rather than socialist experiments. Aid programs were often conditioned on African governments’ willingness to adopt pro-Western economic models, discouraging state-led development strategies that many African leaders initially favored.

Economic Aid or Economic Dependence?

Williams argues that rather than fostering genuine economic independence, USAID helped to entrench Africa’s dependence on Western financial systems. The agency provided loans and grants that were frequently tied to the purchase of American goods and services, reinforcing a cycle of dependency where African economies remained reliant on external assistance. This practice mirrored broader neocolonial strategies that sought to keep African states subordinate to Western economic structures.

One stark example highlighted in White Malice is how USAID projects often focused on sectors beneficial to American corporate interests rather than areas most needed by African populations. Infrastructure projects prioritized roads and ports that facilitated the export of raw materials to Western markets rather than fostering industrialization in Africa itself. Meanwhile, USAID’s agricultural programs promoted cash crops for export over food security, leaving many African countries vulnerable to food shortages despite receiving substantial agricultural aid.

Read Also: Redefining Independence: The Shifting Dynamics of Africa-France Relations

USAID and Political Interference

In addition to economic influence, White Malice details how USAID played a role in covert political activities that sought to shape African leadership in favor of U.S. interests. The agency funded civil society organizations, media outlets, and academic institutions that promoted pro-Western ideologies while simultaneously suppressing movements that challenged U.S. hegemony.

One of the most striking revelations in White Malice is the extent to which USAID worked alongside the CIA to support regime change efforts. In Ghana, for example, USAID provided financial backing to opposition groups and trade unions that opposed Nkrumah’s government. This economic pressure, combined with CIA-backed covert operations, ultimately contributed to Nkrumah’s overthrow in 1966. Similarly, in Congo, USAID’s financial support for select political actors helped to destabilize Lumumba’s government, paving the way for Western-backed dictator Mobutu Sese Seko.

USAID and Cultural Imperialism

Another key aspect of USAID’s role in Africa, as discussed in White Malice, was the promotion of American cultural values under the guise of development. USAID-funded educational programs and scholarships often served as tools of ideological conditioning, training African students and professionals in pro-Western economic and political philosophies. African intellectuals who were educated through USAID programs frequently returned to their home countries with ideas that aligned with U.S. interests, reinforcing a new elite class that was more sympathetic to Western capitalism.

Additionally, USAID played a significant role in funding media outlets that disseminated pro-Western narratives. This included financing newspapers, radio stations, and cultural initiatives that subtly promoted American ideals while discrediting socialist and pan-Africanist ideologies. By controlling the flow of information, USAID helped shape African public opinion in ways that favored U.S. strategic goals.

Conclusion

While USAID is often portrayed as a benevolent force for economic and social progress, White Malice provides us with a crucial counter-narrative that exposes its role in advancing U.S. geopolitical interests at the expense of African self-determination. From economic manipulation to political interference and ideological conditioning, USAID’s activities have historically aligned with the broader objectives of American foreign policy rather than the genuine needs of African populations. Understanding this legacy is essential for critically assessing contemporary development aid and its ongoing implications for Africa’s sovereignty and economic independence.

Given Trump’s America First sloganeering, I doubt if Trump is aware that USAID’s aid regimes are indeed Greek Gifts that serve only the interests of the United States. Whatever becomes of USAID, the evils of the organization must not be swept under the carpet.