The Trump-Africa Summit
By Femi Olugbile
By now the spectacle of foreign leaders being corralled into becoming bit players in a public theatre starring Donald Trump has become a familiar sight for discerning television spectators all over the world. It started with the open spat with President Zelensky of Ukraine. It was horrific, utterly alien to the conventions of Diplomacy between nations.
In the six months of the 47th American President’s incumbency, ridiculing friend and foe alike now a familiar sight.
Because the United States of America is the largest economy in the world and a country that most other countries want to have on their side, the risk of being put through the shredder of public ridicule has not been a sufficiently compelling deterrent to scare of many of them. Presidents and Prime Ministers from different countries and continents have taken turns in the White House meeting room.
The language of dialogue between nations has changed. Nowadays, instead of lofty rhetoric about Democracy, Human Rights or Multilateral Institutions, the buzz words are Tariffs and making a Deal. The only way to make a deal with USA is to go through the dealer-in-Chief, Donald Trump. If that means enduring a certain amount of low-class contumely, so be it.
Donald Trump likes talking down his predecessors and talking up his own accomplishments, as well as hearing other people massaging his ego. The Prime Minister of Great Britain came to his own White House meeting armed with a letter from King Charles, inviting Donald Trump to visit Buckingham Palace. Other people who had no royal invitations to flaunt came offering their country’s minerals and rare earths, laying them at the feet of the feet of an American President who has shown an inordinate love for them.
On the 9th of July, it was the turn of five African Heads of States to have their moment in the sun. In the team were the Presidents of Senegal, Gabon, Mauritania, Guinea Bissau and Liberia.
In the days since the meeting, a lot has been said about what transpired. Many Africans are chagrined about Trump’s disrespectful treatment of the President of Liberia.
Curious to discern the psychology of the interplay, you decide to sit down to watch a video of the entire almost hour-long meeting.
President Trump begins the proceedings with a pleasant welcome to his African visitors. He has met leaders from different countries, he says, and now he’s happy to be meeting Africans. He is eager to shift from AID to TRADE.
The microphone is passed to the visitors to ‘say a few words’.
President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania goes first. His speech is slow and dilatory. He is speaking in French, with translation. He thanks Donald Trump effusively.
‘…We accept this message…you’re sending to the whole of Africa….’ He commends Trump’s interventions in resolving long-running conflicts in Africa and the Middle East.
Trump is fidgeting visibly as the man’s voice continues in his slow treacly drone.
‘…Five million population…Strategic position on the Atlantic, linking North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa…Minerals, rare earth, manganese…’
Mauritania has a poor reputation as one of the few places in the world where enslavement of black people by Arabs is alleged to continue to this day.
Trump, bored by the long speech, requests that the microphone travel round faster.
‘…Maybe you just tell us your name and your country…’
Next is the President of Guinea Bissau, speaking in Portuguese.
‘…Small country, great State… Not great like United States…You can count on Guinea Bissau…’ he assures Trump, rather lamely.
It is the turn of Joseph Boakai, President of Liberia. He is a short man with a husky voice. He recounts how the 249th Anniversary of USA was celebrated at the Embassy in Liberia. He wants to encourage America investment, and ‘…opportunity to do a …minerals…survey of his country…’ He is committed to peace.
Trump is looking genuinely pleased and friendly as he interjects
‘…Such good English…Where did you learn to speak …educated…where?’
Perhaps he’s truly expecting to hear the other man say Boston or New York.
There is an embarrassed pause.
‘Liberia’ says the man with the husky voice.
‘Liberia?’
‘Yes sir’
The Liberian is both embarrassed and overawed, and the ‘Sir’ is a give-away.
Trump realises he has goofed and makes a joke that most of his own people cannot speak such English.
The man from Gabon is next. For a moment the microphone fails and nobody can hear him. Gabon is one of the richest countries in Africa, but its people are among the poorest on Human Development Index for the familiar reasons of elite state capture and corruption. President (General) Nguema, ‘transitional’ military leader since 2023 promises minerals and rare earths, but he wants local processing, for which he needs Trump’s assistance to generate 8-10 gigawatts of electricity. He wants American partnership to defend the Gulf of Guinea from maritime pirates.
Finally, it is the turn of Senegal. Bassirou Faye is, at 45 years a baby by comparison with most other African Presidents.
Faye wants to build a digital city in Dakar and wants Trump to invest in a golf course there where he can come to show off his golfing skills. Trump acknowledges that Faye was badly treated by his predecessors, a reference to his harassment and imprisonment, and evidence he received a State Department briefing before the meeting.
A reporter asks if Trump plans to travel to Africa. He replies in the affirmative. The reporter raises the now familiar issue of the Trump nomination for the Nobel Peace prize and asks if the visitors would support. They squirm, and mutter ‘Yes’.
Did Trump intentionally disrespect President Boakai?
Your conclusion is ‘No’.
And though the African Presidents were rather fawning, the objectives of increasing Trade and other collaboration were probably be achieved, at least in part, in the rest of the three-day Summit.
Finally, Trump was just being Trump – low on social graces and lacking in empathy, even when he meant no harm, and genuinely ignorant about Liberia.
