The 2014 U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit was a pivotal moment in relations between African nations and the U.S., but some of it was marred by mistakes, mishaps and bad behavior on the part of some participants. There were statements that stirred up controversy, incendiary flubs, and a few unfortunate accidents. Here are 10 incidents of bad, iffy and memorable behavior at the 2014 U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit.
Sources: DailyMail.co.uk, WashingtonPost.com, WJLA.com, WTOP.com, TheGuardian.com, DailyCaller.com, RawStory.com, HumanEvents.com, RollCall.com, GhanaWeb.com,
Sudanese businessman Mo Ibrahim spoke to potential American investors in Africa, but warned them to follow the rule of law in their dealings. The speech, given to a group of business people during the summit, was thought by some to be a brazen. Ibrahim said, “You are absolutely welcome (in Africa). Make as much money as you can, but can you please pay your taxes, because this is a major problem…If you want to succeed in the long term, you have to do clean business. Otherwise it comes and bites you in the backside…so please behave.” (HowWeMadeItInAfrica)
Following the conclusion of the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, Gambian President Yahya Jammeh’s security forces charged at a group of protesters on the streets of Washington, D.C., who were largely made up of Gambian exiles. The group was protesting Jammeh’s leadership — its president makes up one of Africa’s longest-serving and strictest rulers. Three people were injured. The security detail quickly left the scene and flew back to Senegal, claiming diplomatic immunity.
During his talk entitled, “Resilience and Food Security in a Changing Climate,” Kerry talked about chronic hunger plaguing much of sub-Saharan Africa, that leads to 8,000 children dying every day. In his next breath, Kerry moved on to climate change, saying creating new farmland would create far too much carbon pollution, and should be discouraged. It is unclear how or if Kerry reconciled these two thoughts, but it confused and angered panel participants.
Source: DailyCaller.com
Though he did not call out China by name, U.S. President Barack Obama took the summit as an opportunity to take a swipe at the U.S.’s economic rival in the far east, telling African leaders that the U.S. is interested in the continent for more than just its minerals and oil. He said, “We don’t look to Africa simply for its natural resources. We recognize Africa for its greatest resource which is its people and its talents and its potential…We don’t simply want to extract minerals from the ground for our growth.” Ouch, Obama.
Source: TheGuardian.com
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden is often considered endearing for his gaffes, and he of course managed to put his foot in it again at the 2014 U.S.-Africa Summit, when he told more than 40 African leaders, “There is no reason the nation of Africa cannot and should not join the ranks of the world’s most prosperous nations.” Nation? Come on, Biden, the VP should probably at least know the difference between a nation and a continent…
Source: DailyMail.co.uk
Lionel Richie, the entertainer chosen for the White House dinner for all invited dignitaries, faced a more critical audience than when performing his hit 1983 song, “All Night Long.” Though he admitted that much of the song break lyrics were gibberish, performing a song with faux African phrases in front of a room full of people wh speak the languages Richie was mimicking was a bold, if embarrassing, move. If anybody can make sense of “Tom bo li de say de moi ya, Yeah jambo jumbo, Way to parti’ we goin’,” please do not hesitate to let the world know.
Source: WashingtonPost.com
Supporters and opponents of Guinea’s president, Alpha Condé, clashed on the streets of downtown Washington, D.C., during the U.S.-Africa Summit. Punches were thrown, two people were arrested and people were injured.
To be fair, this isn’t bad behavior — it’s ill behavior. The poor guy, after standing stock still outside for hours in 90-degree heat finally succumbed, and had to be helped out by U.S. Chief of Protocol Peter Selfridge.
A now-running joke that Obama is Kenyan was revived during the summit, when NBC White House Correspondent Chris Jansing said Obama wanted a successful summit, given that “he’s from Kenya.” Jansing went on several minutes later to correct the mistake, saying, “I misspoke at the top before. It is obviously the president’s father who is from Kenya,” but the damage was done.
Though it was rightfully deemed necessary to screen some dignitaries visiting the U.S. from Ebola-struck regions, some leaders took issue with the disease being painted as an African problem rather than a global one. During a discussion moderated by Charlie Rose, Senegalese President Macky Sall – whose country has not yet been hit by the disease – made a memorable interjection. He said Ebola “is not an African disease. You have to see this virus as a threat against humanity.” Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete echoed the sentiment, saying, “Right now the epidemic is in West Africa; Tanzania is in East Africa…The whole of the African continent is being perceived as if everywhere, everyone is suffering from Ebola.” Liberia’s President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Sierra Leone’s President Ernest Bai Koroma missed the summit, choosing instead to stay home and deal with the outbreak.
Source: WashingtonPost.com