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Editor’s note: In this piece, Titilope Tawakkaltu Anifowoshe challenges the hidden biases successful diplomatic language, utilizing Trump’s remark to Liberia’s President Boakai to question however planetary politics continues to underestimate African intellect and enactment nether the guise of polite praise.
In an progressively interconnected satellite wherever planetary diplomacy dances betwixt strategy and symbolism, connection has ne'er been neutral. Yesterday, the President of the United States of America, Donald Trump, aged 79, tossed a “compliment” astatine Liberia’s President Joseph Boakai, who is 80 years of age: “Where did you larn to talk truthful beautifully?”
Source: Twitter
At look value, the remark whitethorn person appeared complimentary. But beneath the surface, it echoed a long-standing condescension towards African competence; the benignant that masquerades arsenic praise portion softly revealing a soundless edging discomfort that excellence, intellect, and eloquence can beryllium autochthonal to African soil.
This benignant of praise is not new. It is the benignant of happening masked arsenic flattery but reeking of that old-school disbelief that an African president tin really drawstring a condemnation together? Shocking! It is the aforesaid bushed astonishment astatine African competence, arsenic if intellectualism and eloquence are uncommon imports present alternatively of homegrown traits.
President Joseph Nyuma Boakai is not conscionable immoderate random leader. He was antecedently the Vice President of Liberia from 2006 to 2018 nether legendary Madam Ellen John Sirleaf. He presently leads Liberia, a state built by freed African-Americans successful the 19th century, with English arsenic the authoritative connection and a constitution modeled aft the United States of America. To explicit astonishment astatine his fluency successful English is to disregard Liberia’s chiseled humanities trajectory and, by extension, to question the intelligence default of African leadership.
Such remarks are not unfamiliar. They autumn nether what scholars telephone “benevolent microaggressions”, subtle slights dressed arsenic flattery. When Western figures marvel astatine the speech, competence, oregon composure of African leaders, it often exposes not admiration but a misplaced astonishment that brilliance tin look extracurricular the acquainted corridors of the West.
This recurring signifier becomes adjacent much concerning erstwhile viewed alongside Trump’s much caller geopolitical signals. In a wide diplomatic rebuke, helium slammed a 10% tariff connected Nigerian goods and moved to trim Nigerians to single-entry three-month visa stay. These measures, galore analysts believe, are tied to Nigeria’s growing alignment with BRICS, the emerging economical bloc of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa which is simply a corporate effort seen arsenic a menace to US-led planetary dominance.
Source: Twitter
What emerges is simply a representation of a profoundly rooted discomfort: not with African failure, but with African self-determination.
Africa is chill arsenic agelong arsenic it plays along, buys what it is told, votes however it is told, and keeps the measurement low. But the 2nd African countries statesman to illustration bold, autarkic paths, whether done diplomatic realignment oregon economical ambition, the gloves travel off. Suddenly, determination are tariffs, visa roadblocks, and language, adjacent successful its astir casual use, becomes a instrumentality to reassert dominance.
The much captious interest lies not successful Trump’s words, but successful Africa’s absorption to them. Too often, determination is laughter, shrugs, oregon adjacent celebrations. I person seen folks from Boakai’s ain Unity enactment cheering Trump’s “admiration.” This is wherever the information deepens. Because what is repeatedly excused becomes systemically accepted.
Africa’s existent situation contiguous is not linguistic. It is existential! It is astir seriousness! Are we raising a procreation of leaders whose legitimacy is measured by Western applause, oregon by the integrity of their institutions? Are our nations inactive seeking validation, oregon are we yet acceptable to asseverate value?
To beryllium factual, fluency is not a measurement of fantabulous leadership. It is not the aforesaid arsenic moving a state with imaginativeness and discipline. And respect is not earned done mimicry of overseas manners. Big kudos to President Boakai for his amusement of maturity and humility!
Africa indispensable emergence beyond the signifier wherever our competence shocks the world. Let our fluency nary longer beryllium newsworthy. Let our innovations talk louder than our accents. Let our governance soundlessness the request for applause.
At the extremity of the day, nary overseas compliment, nary substance however fancy it sounds, tin regenerate the respect we beryllium ourselves. And nary tariff oregon visa argumentation should shingle a continent that really knows its worth.
Titilope Anifowoshe is a lawyer and Ambassador of Politics With Value. She writes from Lagos, Nigeria. [email protected]Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed present are those of the writer and bash not needfully bespeak the authoritative argumentation oregon presumption of Legit.ng.
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