Trump's adviser addresses the Sahara issue with the AU Commission President

On Thursday, September 18, at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, President Donald Trump’s special advisor for Africa met with AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Youssouf. The talks focused on «our shared commitment to advancing peace, conflict resolution, and humanitarian aid across the continent», Massad Boulos wrote in a post on X.

It was great to meet with H.E. Mahmoud Youssouf, Chairperson of the @_AfricanUnion, to discuss our shared commitment to advancing peace, conflict resolution, and humanitarian aid across the continent. I expressed appreciation for his leadership and acknowledged the vital role of… pic.twitter.com/78VLITGhc4

— U.S. Senior Advisor for Africa (@US_SrAdvisorAF) September 18, 2025

The U.S. representative diplomatically praised the «leadership and acknowledged the vital role of the AU in addressing conflicts and facilitating peace, including in Sudan, the eastern DRC, Libya, Somalia, Western Sahara, and the Sahel region». In these conflict zones, however, the African Union’s influence is often eclipsed by that of the United States, Russia, and, to a lesser extent, China and Turkey.

At the end of July in Algiers, Massad Boulos had already raised the Sahara issue with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf. He also quietly discussed the matter in Paris with French and Moroccan representatives, away from media attention.