People across Africa have hit out at this week’s high-profile summit between Donald Trump and five African leaders, saying the US president showed little respect during a White House lunch and is only chasing the continent’s minerals.
Five heads of state from Mauritania, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Senegal and Gabon are in Washington for a three-day summit that began on Wednesday with a lunch at the White House.
Trump told the visiting presidents the talks would focus on “incredible commercial opportunities” that could move relations “from aid to trade”.
Many are not convinced. On Thursday, callers to RFI’s Appels sur l’Actualité programme said the US wants to block Chinese influence in Africa while securing valuable resources for itself.
“The United States is only interested in accessing our rare minerals,” said Estimé from Libreville, Gabon’s capital. “This so-called win-win situation is not really in our favour.”
Others said the US wants to stop African countries leaning on China as a top partner and undermine France’s influence in the region.
Another caller, Lydie in Libreville, said the five leaders showed they lacked the skills to negotiate with powerful countries and “someone like Trump”.
Mauritania’s President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani began to talk about his country’s uranium, manganese and lithium but was cut off by Trump, who said: “We're gonna have to go a little bit quicker than this, because we have a whole schedule. If I could just ask your name, and your country, would be great."
Investment push
Gabon President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema told Trump his country has “a great deal of resources”, including rare earth minerals. Gabon has about a quarter of the world’s known manganese reserves and supplies 22 percent of China’s needs.
“Our country is free, open to one and all,” Nguema said. “You are welcome to come and invest. Otherwise, other countries might come instead of you.”
China has invested heavily in Africa and signed over 4.3 billion dollars in deals with Gabon alone.
Liberia’s President Joseph Boakai thanked Trump for the meeting. Liberia has suffered since US aid was cut, losing 48 percent of its health budget.
“Liberia is a longtime friend of the United States and we believe in your policy of making America great again,” Boakai said. “We just want to thank you so much for this opportunity.”
French mining group digs in as Gabon tightens grip on manganese exports
Language gaffe
Trump responded by praising Boakai’s English. “Such good English,” Trump said. “Where did you learn to speak so beautifully?”
“In Liberia?” Trump asked. “Yes sir,” Boakai replied. “That’s very interesting,” Trump said. “I have people at this table who can’t speak nearly as well.”
Claudy in Dakar, Senegal’s capital, said Trump “showed nothing but contempt towards the African leaders”.
“They looked like five candidates applying for a job. Trump did not even know the names of the presidents he invited. He did not even know that English is the official language of Liberia,” Claudy said.
“Trump’s only focus in Africa is to do business and make money. He is not interested in our development, he has cut down aid towards Africa and stopped giving visas to many African citizens,” Claudy said.
Senegalese golf course?
Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye complimented Trump’s golf skills and invited him to build a course in Senegal.
“Thank you very much. Very nice. Thank you. I didn't know I'd be treated this nicely. This is great,” Trump said. “We could do this all day long.”
Faye also spoke of plans for a “tech city” in Dakar with “views of the sea” and asked US investors to get involved.
Critics in Africa were unimpressed. Mokhtar in Nouakchott, Mauritania’s capital, said: “I am very disappointed by my president who looks like he went begging to the American president. All of them, in fact, in the way they had to list out their resources. Trump should already know all this.”
Jean-Martin in Cameroun said: “The hunted cannot negotiate with the hunter. We, the young Africans, we want the transformation of our minerals to be undertaken in our countries.”
The five African nations face 10 percent tariffs on goods exported to the United States. They also hold reserves of gold, oil, manganese, gas, wood and zircon.
