# Massad Boulos **Massad Boulos** (b. 1971) is a Lebanese-born American businessman who is [[Donald Trump]]'s Senior Advisor for Africa at the State Department (named April 2025) and his senior adviser on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs (named December 2024). He is not Senate-confirmed. He is the father of [[Michael Boulos]], who married [[Tiffany Trump]] in 2022. That family tie is the origin of his political career. ## Background He ran the family's West African business interests, including SCOA Nigeria, a vehicle and machinery dealer. Early press called it "multi-billion dollar." Later scrutiny found a listed company with a market capitalization of well under $1 million, in which he held a minority stake. In 2024 he was the Trump campaign's emissary to Arab American voters, particularly in Michigan. ## The Congo minerals portfolio Boulos runs through every thread of the 2025–26 Congo story: - the June 27, 2025 DRC–Rwanda peace agreement; - the **[[Washington Accords for Peace and Prosperity]]**, signed by presidents [[Félix Tshisekedi]] and [[Paul Kagame]] on December 4, 2025; - the same-day [[US-DRC Strategic Partnership Agreement]], with its reserved mining sites and right of first offer for U.S. companies; - the Doha track with [[M23]]. [[KoBold Metals]] publicly thanked him and [[Marco Rubio]] for "opening doors for US investment" in the DRC. The combination is peace diplomacy whose deliverable is mineral access for American firms, run by a presidential in-law with no confirmation hearing. That is the template the [[Conflict Minerals Hub]] tracks. ## The widening remit (September 2026) By September 2026 his portfolio covered much of Africa and the Arab world. - **[[Sudan]].** The U.S. denied army chief Gen. [[Abdel Fattah al-Burhan]] a visa to attend the UN General Assembly in person. Boulos said it signaled "a lack of appreciation for their position," alongside sanctions and gold-trade pressure. - **[[Libya]].** At a Semafor event he defended a proposed power-sharing deal that would make Saddam Haftar president while [[Abdul Hamid Dbeibah]] stays prime minister: "It's not a dictatorship in any way." Critics call it an elite bargain. - **Western Sahara.** He publicly blamed the Algeria-backed Polisario for obstructing the UN process. - **Lebanon.** He has pressed for [[Hezbollah]]'s disarmament. ## See also [[US-DRC Strategic Partnership Agreement]] · [[Washington Accords for Peace and Prosperity]] · [[KoBold Metals]] · [[Conflict Minerals Hub]] · [[Congolese Influence]] · [[Tiffany Trump]] · [[Michael Boulos]]