NAIROBI, July 12 (Xinhua) -- From Wednesday to Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump hosted a summit in Washington with the presidents of five African countries -- Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania and Senegal -- for discussions on trade, investment and security.
Observers said with all five countries facing a 10 percent tariff on exports to the United States, the Trump administration was seeking to pressure them with tough terms, as the African leaders were likely hoping to negotiate more favorable trade conditions.
In addition to limiting their speaking time and mocking the English proficiency of the Liberian president, Trump reportedly pressured the leaders to accept illegal immigrants deported by the United States. Analysts also suggest that the meeting was a calculated move, as the administration seeks greater access to Africa's mineral resources to support its industrial development agenda.
During Wednesday's talks, Trump announced a redirection of U.S. policy toward Africa "from aid to trade," claiming that "in the long run, this will be far more effective and sustainable and beneficial than anything else that we could be doing together."
Yet behind this rhetoric, many observers detect an orchestrated push to secure Washington's access to Africa's critical mineral resources.
"Trump has come to realize that ignoring Africa, with its vast mineral and energy resources, was a serious strategic mistake," said Cheikh Tidiane Ndiaye, former editor-in-chief of the Senegalese Press Agency.
According to reports, Gabon holds roughly a quarter of the world's known manganese reserves. Senegal boasts abundant oil, natural gas and gold, while Mauritania has significant uranium deposits, all vital to global industry.
In a report titled "Trump's African summit was a masterclass in modern colonial theatre," Al Jazeera, a global media network, said the meeting laid bare its true character. "Africa was presented not as a continent of sovereign nations but as a rich expanse of resources... This was not a dialogue but a display of domination: a stage-managed production in which Trump scripted the scene and African heads of state were cast in subordinate roles," the report said.
TO FORCE ACCEPTANCE OF DEPORTEES
Another major aim of the summit was reportedly to pressure African leaders to receive migrants deported from the United States.
Since January, the Trump administration has intensified its deportation campaign, even seeking to redirect immigrants to third countries when their home countries refuse or delay their return.
Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania and Senegal have yet to make any public response. However, U.S. media reported that South Sudan accepted eight migrants deported from the United States in early July, a sign that the policy is already taking effect on the continent.
On Thursday, Nigeria made clear its firm stance against accepting deportees from the United States, some of whom are even released directly from prison.
Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs Yusuf Tuggar said that Washington is exerting considerable pressure on African countries, including Nigeria. With a population of more than 200 million people, Nigeria is not in a position to accommodate foreign deportees, especially those with potential criminal backgrounds, he said.
IMPERIAL ARROGANCE
During the meeting between African leaders and Trump, following Liberian President Joseph Boakai's address, Trump said he was surprised by his "beautiful English," and asked where he had learned to speak "so beautifully," and specifically if it was "in Liberia."
The remark was widely regarded as offensive in Liberia, a country established in the 19th century by freed American slaves and whose official language is English, and other African nations.
"It is disappointing that a world leader would be so unaware of the official language of a country with such deep historical ties to the U.S.," wrote Sam Yates, a Liberian living in Nigeria, on Facebook. "Does Trump think we only speak 'jungle' languages? English is taught in schools across Africa, often to a very high standard."
Some netizens linked Trump's comments to broader issues of Western perceptions of Africa, saying that the remarks underscored a tendency among some Westerners to view Africa through a lens of aid dependency or cultural exoticism, rather than as a continent with diverse, modern societies and highly educated populations.
"This is not a compliment; it is an insult thinly veiled as praise. It shows a fundamental lack of understanding and respect for African intellect and education," wrote Richard Donkor, an X user from Ghana.
Moreover, Trump appeared visibly impatient during the speech by Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, even going so far as to gesture for him to wrap up.
A group photo of the six leaders at the White House also circulated widely on social media: the five African leaders stand in a row, while Trump sits at his desk in the Oval Office.
Foday Massaquio, chairman of Liberia's opposition Congress for Democratic Change-Council of Patriots, said the focus of the White House meeting was misdirected, stressing that Trump's remarks were "disrespectful."
He also noted the U.S. president's lack of respect for African leaders. "President Trump was condescending; he was very disrespectful to the African leader... And this proves that the West is not taking us seriously as Africans," Massaquio said. ■