The ambitions of African presidents invited to Trump's table "have flown away"
The leaders of Liberia, Mauritania, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, and Gabon were invited to Washington for a summit on economics and security, which also focused on migration issues. "Le Djely" is irritated by the stance of these heads of state, flattered by "a form of personal consecration."
“Where did you learn to speak [English] so well?” Donald Trump’s question to his Liberian counterpart, Joseph Boakai, prompted “a few chuckles” in the State Dining Room of the White House, where the US president was hosting five African leaders on Wednesday, July 9.
The New York Times narrates the incongruous insistence of the American host : “Where did you learn to speak so well?”, “Where? Were you educated? Where?” The person’s lapidary response was answered, with Joseph Boakai taking care not to mention that Liberia was founded in 1822 on the initiative of an American organization, the American Colonization Society, with the aim of settling freed slaves from the United States. And that English is the official language.
Yet another demonstration of Donald Trump's lack of familiarity with geography, this curiosity was perceived as an "offense" and a "condescension" by Liberians interviewed by CNN . The Liberian foreign minister, for his part, stuck to a lesson in diplomatic courtesy:
“Many people don’t understand the linguistic boundaries or the linguistic demographics of the African continent.”
“As the United States shifts from aid to trade, Liberia and other countries invite mining exploration and
Courrier International
