Inside the 2026 CSPA list: How new US restrictions could block direct commercial military sales and training across 8 African nations

Eight African countries could face restrictions on certain forms of US military assistance and defence-related sales after being named in Washington’s 2026 Child Soldiers Prevention Act (CSPA) list, a development that could complicate security cooperation across a continent battling persistent insurgencies and armed conflicts.

• Eight African countries have been listed under the US 2026 Child Soldiers Prevention Act (CSPA), potentially facing restrictions on certain US military assistance.
• The countries identified are Nigeria, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan.
• Inclusion on the list is based on evidence that armed forces or government-supported groups in these countries recruited or used child soldiers.
• The restrictions could affect military training, financing, equipment sales, and some peacekeeping assistance, but exemptions and waivers may apply.

The countries are Nigeria, the Central African Republic (CAR), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan.

Apart from the eight African nations, the other six countries on the 2026 CSPA list are Afghanistan, Burma, Iran, Russia, Venezuela and Yemen.

They are among the governments identified in the US Department of State’s 2026 Trafficking in Persons Report for the recruitment or use of child soldiers by their armed forces, security forces or government-supported armed groups.

The report covers the period from April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026. The CSPA requires the US government to identify countries implicated in child soldier recruitment or use and sets out restrictions on specified forms of military assistance and commercial licensing.

The designation does not necessarily mean that each country’s national government directly recruited children. The law also covers government-supported armed groups and certain support roles, including cooks, porters, messengers, medics and guards, when children are recruited or used in hostilities.

What the US restrictions could mean for African security

Under the CSPA, listed governments can face restrictions on International Military Education and Training, Foreign Military Financing, Excess Defense Articles and certain Peacekeeping Operations assistance.

The law also provides for restrictions on licences for direct commercial sales of military equipment. Exceptions and presidential waivers may apply, so inclusion on the list does not automatically amount to a complete ban on US military cooperation.

The implications vary across the eight countries, whose security challenges range from jihadist insurgencies to civil conflict and armed-group violence.

Nigeria continues to fight Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), while Somalia relies on international support in its campaign against al-Shabaab. In the DRC, government forces face multiple armed groups in the east, while the Central African Republic continues to contend with armed-group activity despite years of international security assistance.

Sudan has been devastated by a war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces. South Sudan faces persistent insecurity involving armed groups and intercommunal violence. Ethiopia continues to confront internal security challenges, while Rwanda’s inclusion could carry diplomatic implications for its security relationships and regional role.

For these countries, restrictions on specific training programmes, financing or equipment sales could narrow some channels of engagement with Washington. The practical effect will depend on which forms of assistance each country receives, which restrictions apply and whether exemptions are granted.

Nigeria’s designation comes against a particularly sensitive backdrop. In October 2025, President Donald Trump designated Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern under US religious freedom legislation.

That is a separate designation from the CSPA listing, but together they add pressure to a security relationship in which Washington and Abuja have sought to cooperate against terrorism while facing disagreements over human rights and religious freedom.

Across the eight African countries, the central question is whether the restrictions will significantly affect military cooperation or primarily serve as diplomatic leverage to press governments to address child recruitment and use.

The CSPA list creates the possibility of targeted limits, but the extent of any disruption will depend on subsequent US decisions.