Trump Hosts African Leaders at the White House
President Donald Trump met with leaders from five African nations at the White House, where discussions were primarily focused on the U.S. initiative to deport undocumented immigrants to these countries. This follows an initial trial of sending migrants to South Sudan.
Before the arrival of the leaders from Liberia, Senegal, Mauritania, Gabon, and Guinea-Bissau for the summit on economic and security issues, the U.S. Department of State sent requests to each country regarding the potential acceptance of migrants.
In his opening remarks at the meeting, Trump expressed, “I hope we can reduce the high rates of people overstaying their visas and make progress on safe third-country agreements.”
The American proposal urges these nations to accept “humane, safe, and timely transport from the United States” of citizens from third countries, according to an internal State Department document reviewed by the Wall Street Journal.
It remains unclear whether any of the participating countries have agreed to the U.S. proposal, as none of the African leaders addressed this issue during the public portion of the meeting.
Previously, the Wall Street Journal reported that the United States is looking to establish immigration agreements with other nations, including Rwanda, Benin, Eswatini, Moldova, Mongolia, and Kosovo.
During the White House gathering, Trump praised Liberian President George Weah’s English proficiency, seemingly unaware that English is Liberia’s official language. He remarked to President Weah, “Your English is lovely. Where did you learn to speak so beautifully?” Weah shared details of his education, which piqued Trump’s interest. He noted, “That’s very interesting; I have people at this table who don’t speak nearly as well.”
Liberia was founded in 1822 by the American Colonization Society, which aimed to resettle freed slaves in Africa. The country declared its independence from the society in 1847 and today its residents speak various languages, with English as the official language.
Many Liberians expressed dissatisfaction with Trump’s remarks to Weah, considering past comments made by the president regarding African nations and the colonial legacy left by the American organization in Liberia.
The White House defended Trump’s statement, with senior advisor on African affairs, Masad Pauls, stating to CNN, “I was present at the meeting, and everyone was very appreciative of the president’s time and effort. Africa has never had a friend in the White House like President Trump.”