Africa at Crossroads After $13 Billion US Aid Cut, Say Analysts

JOHANNESBURG—African countries reacted with shock when the U.S. government recently cut $13 billion in financial assistance. But analysts said the move could spur those countries toward better governance, and even critics said it shines a spotlight on the most corrupt nations on the planet. In fiscal year 2024, the U.S. government gave almost $13 billion in taxpayer funds to aid countries in Africa, which is rated the world’s most corrupt region by watchdog Transparency International. Most of the money was administered by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which has since had most of its programs paused and been folded into the State Department....