Trump praises Liberian President - Criticism from Africa

Trump praises Liberian President - Criticism from Africa

President Donald Trump praised the Liberian President Joseph Boakai for his good English on Wednesday. This recognition surprised many because the African head of state was trained in Liberia, where English is the official language.

a praise and its consequences

While he received five African heads of state in the White House, Trump asked Boakai: "So good English, it's nice. Where did you learn to speak so nicely?" Boakai explained his educational background to Trump, which made the president express his interest: "This is very interesting. I have people at this table who cannot speak nearly as well."

The history of Liberia

The history of Liberia is connected to the USA. The country was founded in 1822 by the American Colonization Society, which was the goal of releasing slaves in Africa. Liberia explained independence from the American Colonization Society in 1847 and today has a variety of languages, with English Language is.

Criticism of Trump's comment

Some Liberians expressed their displeasure with Trump's statement, especially in view of his previous comments about African countries and the colonial legacy that the US organization left in Liberia. "I felt insulted because our country is an English -speaking country," Archie Tamel Harris, a Liberian youth activist, told CNN. "For him to ask this question, I do not see as a compliment. I have the feeling that the US President and the people in the West still see Africans as people in villages who are not formed."

reactions of international speakers

A Liberian diplomat who wanted to remain anonymous said that the remark was "not appropriate" and that it was "a little condescending" to an African president from an English -speaking country. The South African politician Veronica Mente Asked what prevents it from up and too go? "

The defense of the White House

The White House defended Trump's statements on Wednesday. Massad Boulos, the Senior Advisor for Africa of the Trump administration, said in a statement: "I was very grateful to the president for his time and effort.

The deputy press spokeswoman for the White House, Anna Kelly, emphasized that Trump's comment was a "sincere compliment" and that "the reporters should already recognize that President Trump has already done more to restore global stability and to promote the countries in Africa and all over the world than Joe Biden in four years."

a differentiated view

The Liberian Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti told CNN that "there was no insult" from the perspective of the Liberian President and that "many people do not understand the linguistic limits or language demography of the African continent". "What President Trump perceived significantly was the American influence on our English in Liberia, and the Liberian president is not offended," said Nyanti.

Trump's dealings with the English language

Trump praised the English skills of other leaders during diplomatic meetings. At a press conference with the German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Trump praised his "good English" and asked if it was as good as his German. Merz laughed and noticed that he was trying to "understand almost everything" and that he tried to "speak as well as I can."

Trump's controversial statements about Africa

The US President has been criticized in the past due to his statements about African nations. In 2018, he described migrants from African countries and other nations from “Sch ***
Löchern ”. In May he criticized the South African President Cyril Ramaphosa because of false claims that white South African farmers were victims of a genocide.

a positive conclusion with African heads of state

on Wednesday, however, Trump represented a different tone when he met with the leaders of Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania and Senegal, and praised their countries as "all very lively places with valuable country, great minerals and wonderful people". In return, the African leaders of Trump were positive and encouraged him to invest in their countries and to develop their rich natural resources. Boakai even noticed that Liberia "believes in politics to make America big again".

to supplement the story, carried CNNS Samantha Waldenberg.