Do African presidents wonder why their Asian, European and Latin American counterparts are never summoned?

An interesting item appeared in the media this week, informing us that the United States Congress, which is the law-making entity of the US, has passed a law that will require in-coming President Donald J Trump’s administration to “host US-Africa Leaders summits every four years”.

These now legally required summits will mirror similar meetings in countries such as China, Japan, and Russia where African leaders have regularly congregated with the leaders of those countries. At those meetings, African presidents have seemed to revel in the reflected attention usually their host presidents attract, but in my view, hardly discuss anything that is materially important for their impoverished people.

This new US “law” by congress will force President Trump to rub shoulders with leaders of countries which, during his first stint as President, he was alleged to have described (excuse the language) as shithole countries. If you thought the scramble for Africa was in the past, you may need to think again.

Now, black African countries have been “independent” for decades; some like Ghana since 1957 and Uganda since 1962. It therefore bothers me a great deal that our presidents are literally summoned by the likes of China, Japan, and the US of A and they answer the summons by frantically putting together huge delegations to go and partake of the “hospitality” of their new colonisers. I am sorry to say this, but they do remind one of a herd of sheep responding to the call of their herder.

Have these leaders of ours ever wondered why their Asian, European and Latin American counterparts are never similarly subpoenaed to Moscow before Putin; to Washington before Joe Biden; or to Beijing before Xi?
Come to that, is there any African president that can wake up one day and summon European, Asian or American presidents for a summit in their own capital?

If any dared, there would be global laughter! So why do African leaders succumb to the whims of these people, and thereafter issue statements extolling "successful and fruitful discussions"? No wonder the standing and perception of us Africans among other inhabitants of this planet is the lowest in the world. No wonder in fact that Africa is perceived as one country among some among the rest of the world.

Shall we ever have leaders in Africa who as one will once and for all tell these gentlemen: thanks for your invitation, but we are busy trying to solve Africa’s problems to waste our time and money on these junkets.

HGK Nyakoojo

Buziga, Kampala.