 Hi, I'm Sandy Baird, and we are here today with what's going on in the world today, and there's a lot going on as always. I'm here today with Eric Añero, a colleague of mine, and a colleague of this city, and everything important that goes on in this city. Eric is from the Ivory Coast. He's now becoming a lawyer here, and he's doing many other civic activities. And there are two important events going on, and we'll start today with the summit on Africa that's being held in Washington. And before we go to a discussion of that, we will see a little video. So, right? Yep. Okay, thank you. African nations are in Washington, D.C. this week for a three-day Africa summit organized by the Biden administration. The U.S. Africa Leaders Summit comes as the United States is trying to counter the growing influence of China and Russia in Africa. On Monday, Biden's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, revealed the United States is pledging $55 billion in economic health and security support for Africa over the next three years. Working closely with Congress, the U.S. will commit $55 billion to Africa over the course of the next three years across a wide range of sectors to tackle the core challenges of our time. These commitments build on the United States' longstanding leadership and partnership in development, economic growth, health and security in Africa over the past three decades. During the U.S. Africa Leaders Summit, President Biden's expected to express support for the African Union to join the G20 and to push for the United Nations Security Council to include a permanent member from Africa. Axios is also reporting Biden's planning his first trip as president to sub-Saharan Africa next year. The Washington summit comes as Africa faces numerous crises from the climate emergency to political instability. Over the past two years, there have been coups in Mali, Sudan, Burkina Faso and Guinea. U.S. trained officers led several of those coups. The foreign nations were not invited to the Washington summit. Neither was Eritrea or leaders from Western Sahara, which has been occupied by Morocco since the 1970s. One prominent African leader who will not be attending this week's summit is South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who faces possible impeachment over corruption allegations. As the summit comes, as the U.S. continues to expand its military presence in Africa, President Biden recently sent U.S. troops back into Somalia, reversing an order by Donald Trump to withdraw troops. So what's going on? Well, you know... What is this African summit? It's gathering that, you know, Biden is organizing, President Biden is organizing in Washington. It's the second one after the first was organized by Obama. I think it's 2014. And so this summit, as, you know, the video was saying, comes because the U.S. is facing serious challenges. In Africa or everywhere, really? Everywhere. But Africa has become, if you've seen it, the epicenter of, you know, almost like all these new geopolitical confrontations between the West and, you know, Russia and China. I would say between the West and the Brex. Okay, so what are the Brex? There are, you know, Brazil, Russia, China, India and South Africa. So these are the emerging power that are challenging very much. So, you know, the domination of the Western world, meaning, you know... Domination of the capitalist world, too, in a lot of ways, right? Yes, but today is no longer like a divide between capitalism and because everybody seems to have found their way of doing free market, depending on, you know, your background. But what is more important is that these countries no longer will take a dictatorship from the West. Because, you know, after like India, for example, used to be a former colony from Great Britain, but today India doesn't have any complex and would like the British to treat with them as, you know, a power or at least a sovereign country. And India also has the means to reclaim that because like it's one of the largest populated countries, the economy is also booming. Yeah, I mean, it's no longer a third world country, you know, one-on-one, it's today, you know, a power that, you know, wants to be respected as such. And Russia also wants... Russia is a nuclear power and Russia doesn't want to be taken for a third world country. You have Brazil, which is a large economy. And you have South Africa, which is also one of the largest economies in China, not the largest economy of Africa. So these countries also have their agenda. They want to do business across the continent. They want to do business across the world. So they're refusing what we call in French a chasse-garde, a turf of, you know, these post-colonial powers, I mean, these colonial powers. For example, the French-speaking countries in Africa are still under the domination of Paris. And then... And the French... I wonder if we could go back to the map, if that's possible. But the French countries are in French West Africa, correct, mostly? Yeah, some of them will come to, you know, the Central, you have Madagascar, and they have ties with France. And so, from Dhaka to Madagascar, you have, like, a lot of countries that... That are French. And then in this region, in the West Africa region and Central Africa region, almost 14 plus countries share a currency that is being controlled by France. Meaning the economy, politics, everything is held by France. So this is why in Africa we're seeing a revolution that, if we don't pay attention, will take away France and all the allies amongst them, the U.S. The new generation. In other words, there's competition for the control, not really for the control, but at least for the loyalties of those countries. They're not so loyal to the old imperial powers, right? Yes, and then what appears as a way to grant loyalty to another power is not what we think here. The U.S. and the Western world are always seeing it as a competition, not as a legitimate need and expression of sovereignty. It looks like you Africans cannot even choose with whom you want to do. If you choose our enemy, then you're choosing wrong. Under these pretexts, they don't get it. They don't get that the new generation of internet, those who went to school no longer the colonial subjects that their parents were, want equality. Someone was telling me, can black lives matter only in the U.S. and not in Africa? How can we be in Africa, still colonial beings, and we have to deal with a power that is saying that black lives matter. Black lives matter only in America, not in Africa or in the black and brown world. This is it. So instead of creating these big summits where the same people, the same leaders that are being challenged by the new generation there, that are being seen as just beggars and lackeys of the colonial powers, instead of having them, this country should understand that there's a new paradigm over there. There's a new way of doing business. Which is? Which is? I mean, wait a minute. Can we go back? So this summit that's happening in Washington, what is the purpose of it? To give aid? What is it? Yeah, I mean, it's the same thing. You see that Africa is being approached by China and Russia. And they are. And they are. And then not in not only approach, but Russia is one of the major, you know, armed dealer, major military assistant, you know, assistant power and also doing business with Mali, Bokina Faso and all these countries. You have China. Russia is doing business. Yeah. China is one of the major investors in Africa. China is building roads. China is building infrastructure. They're doing business over there. Do they do? Do they arm those countries as well? China not into the armed business. That's more the 40 of Russia. But in any case, they're also looking for the influence over there. Do business. Even India is doing business. Even Turkey is doing business over there. So they don't. And then the Africans want to do business with everybody. They want to do business with everybody. But it's not possible. Why? Because, as I said, a lot of them are still prisoners of a past colonial system that prevent them to do freely. They move. So if they want to do that, they have to break away from France, for example. That's what Mali did. Mali did when recently? Recently. After Kudeta. Mali now is best buddies with Russia. Because Mali is looking for someone to protect them against the retaliation of France. And the retaliation of France, and there have been a lot of articles and studies. It's like agitating all these criminals in the desert, these so-called terrorists, to terrorize the countries over there so that they can turn to France to ask for help against these terrorists. And in return for this help, okay, France will dig into your soil and get all the gold over there and the minerals. So it's a new dawn. It's a new paradigm, which is not going to be about these summits only, but also creating avenues of people to people business. Cultural. The U.S. is like one of the... Used to be. I mean, it's still, you know, just a movie comes out of the U.S. just like a new economic theory or whatever comes out of the U.S. and already, you know, the world wants to take advantage of it. The U.S. is still as big soft power. Which means cultural. Cultural. That can be used. You know, how can you expect a generation that have read all your books to accept that you come as a lesson-giver? You know, when they know that you best friend with France, you are best friend with England, you are best friend with... Belgium. You know, Belgium? I mean... Well, explain that. Because, I mean, there's so many Americans, I believe, that don't know a thing about history and are really unaware a lot of the colonial past in Africa. They might know, Americans might know that the West, England and France and the United States were associated with the slave trade. But beyond that, I don't think that many Americans know about the whole history of those powers in Africa after slavery. Colonialism. Colonialism. Right. And past colonialism. Because the main... And that means the control of Africa by Western powers for their resources, largely, right? They see flags. They see African nations playing at the World Cup and thinking that these are real nations. These are real countries and dependent countries. Here we are. Okay. It's not true. Well, what is true? What is true is Africa, not only is still dominated by the colonial powers... Of France and England. Of France, England, England somehow through, you know... But the U.S. is an ally of this. Right. The U.S. has to maintain this division of Africa that took place at the Berlin conference that... And then yelts at the division of the world where, you know, superpowers, you know, kind of share the cake. Okay. This is my turf. This is your turf. So if I won't go to your turf, I will back you there as long as you back me there. I help you knock down China if you help me get, you know... Knock down Russia. Russia, you know. But that's unfortunately what's happening with Africa. And Africa is still being seen by the people of the Western world as an infant. That is only looking for food, clothing, and medications. And then under this pretext of, you know, health assistance, all this kind of experiments. Yeah. And dumping of drugs and all kind of chemical to Africa has taken place. They didn't monitor, right? So when the civil society wants to topple down these dictators, these lackeys that are holding the country back, then come these powers to help that. So it's impossible. It's impossible for that continent to be successful if all its resources are taken away to Europe. For example, Niger, Niger is here. And that's also French-speaking, right? Yeah, French-speaking. Niger produces uranium. But Niger doesn't even have power. Like it's only like the capital city and, you know, most of the country doesn't have access to, you know, cheap power. They produce uranium. All this uranium goes to France, produces electricity for France when people from Niger. Is that nuclear? Nuclear. Right. You got, like, Ivory Coast produces, like, the largest quantity of cacao for chocolate. This chocolate goes to be, you know, roasted and, you know, and become, you know, a chocolate and comes back three times the price or maybe ten times the price of, you know, the raw material. And these countries are still, you know, imposed to produce raw materials and ship them. You have... Not just the same in the English colonies as well or not? I mean, the English colonies, you know, are maybe less tortured by England than, you know, at this point. But it's the same, it's the same, it's the same scheme. If it's not militarism, then comes the IMF and the World Bank. And what do they do? They impose, you know, all kinds of programs. Right. For example... Austerity. Austerity. To pay back credit cards that have been flooded into the country by, you know... Citibank. Yeah. And then it's... You can't go anywhere. You still be Africa. And then... So now the U.S. is changing maybe... I mean, so what is this summit then for? To sort of court the African countries or what? Yes, to court them. Right. But it comes also with a stake. Yeah, which is... Because right before this summit, there was a low pass... I mean, how do you call it? But, you know, basically a low pass by Congress or, you know, a bill saying that countries, all individuals that will be helping China's or, I mean, Russia's malign influence... Malign influence. ...in Africa will be punished. So, like, it's like still a friend from Africa told me, Baba Biden and the 49 robbers. Yeah. That's how they see it. 49, most of them illegitimate, you know, that are not legitimate, you know, leaders are in Washington to be court so that they can maybe, you know, help with, you know, with regard to containing the influence of China. Not everybody wants China to be the dominating me. I don't want it. I don't want, you know, Africa to go under again. I mean, any other power. What I wish for Africa is that, you know, they can do business equally with the rest of the world. But maybe one has to be very, you know, how do you say it? Circumstance. First of all. Yeah. So it's good that a summit like this happened. But it's like a competition because the same summit happened in Sochi in Russia. There's also a summit China-Africa. There's also maybe a summit India-Africa. So African leaders are like beggars that go from summit to summit where they've been given champagne and all this nice gift and maybe some stipends to attend this summit with blah, blah. And then at the end, it's like, you know, who will give more to this power but less to the people? So what happens at the end? I mean, so these African leaders, first of all, are they legit leaders? Also, they are not. Are not. What do you mean? I take the example of the president of the Ivory Coast. He's serving a third illegal mandate that have been, you know, condoned by France, the European Union and the U.S. Was he put into power by those countries? I mean, it was like after a post-electoral stalemate which had like the Western powers weighing very much for him to be in power. Okay, he got two terms and after the two terms he comes and then says he's going to do a third term because his successor that he has designated has died. So I need to be there because my successor, like if there were nobody in this country to take over. But this guy is still, how can he be at a conference like this? Okay, the Chinese are not asking anything when it comes to human rights or whatever. Okay, so be it. Then let's go do business equal to equal. And this is what this leader says too? These leaders, they don't have a say. Most of them are over there just because they're protected by at least the West. Because I don't put the U.S. as the major. Most of them, Africa is not the turf of the U.S., so to speak. At this point. At this point. The U.S. is there as an ally of these... France. France, and you know. But also the U.S. is there also to, you know... Get a foot in the door. Yeah, but still, I'd rather have the U.S. play its own cards in Africa rather than being an ally of people that have created hundreds of years, or at least dozens of years of resentment from the Africans. Remember a few years ago, I mean less than a century ago, or maybe a century ago, people were having their hand cuts in Congo. That was by the Belgians. Lumumba's tooth, one of the Prime Minister of Congo's... Patrice. Patrice Lumumba's tooth was given back to Congo, like you give like the tail of an animal. Because he was assassinated. He was assassinated. And his tooth was being kept by one of the guys... Psychedentification? No, but you know he was like a trophy, like a souvenir by the one who assassinated him on behalf of the Western world. So how can you, if you don't do at least that... You don't do at least penance. If you don't at least repair that. It's almost an oxymoron to try to become a helper when you help those who are still... But that's not changing, right? It's not changing. And that patronizing attitude. But so if a government comes into power, even if it's a free election, that is more friendly with Russia or China, what does the United States do? And France. Ah, they'll put pressure on this because there's competition. Right, and the competition is about what? About resources. It's about resources, but also it's about influence. It's about pride, it's about everything. It's about everything. And even you see that at the World Cup. To the last World Cup, because we have just a few minutes to talk about it. Which is tomorrow at 2 o'clock, Morocco versus France. So most Americans don't know the deal. Morocco is a former colony of France, right? So for the people from Morocco, it's kind of... The people of the world from Africa. Yeah, opportunity to take the revenge. And then this is what is at play. And then just also to show that we are nations now, all part of the world that we have to respect each other. So no nation, even if these nations are midget, like in terms of economy, military... Compared to France. But they're still people. They still have pride. They still are a nation. And then so who do you want to... Look, I'm a French from Quebec. So I would probably favor the colonies. But it's interesting because Morocco is the first African country, first Arab country because Morocco is dual Arab. I know. And therefore Islamic mostly, right? So it's like for the Arab world, it's the first country that is going at this stage of the competition. And for the African continent, it's also one of theirs that is going at this stage. So the whole continent is behind them. The whole black and brown world is behind them. I don't know in this country though. But thank God it's... Oh, this country has a lot of friends from here that are from Morocco because it's a tour de force. They did something very incredible. Which was? Which was going all the way to that stage. So they... The first African, first Arab country. Yeah, they gained respect from the... And then they were able also to beat some of these powers that also put the American teams in trouble. So, yes, but that's what we want. Thank God it's not like through a conflict, military conflict. Yeah, I'd rather have a soccer match, wouldn't you? That's what the world should be, rather than, you know, oh, I dominate you because you're black or brown or I dominate you because you're white or yellow. Hard to dominate you basically because you've got gold. Yeah. Because you've got coltons. Because you helped me fight the Russian. I helped you fight the Chechens and so to speak. So I like that idea of the summit in Washington. I hope that, you know... What did Trump... Trump didn't have such a thing, right? Trump was clear from the beginning. Trump wanted only America. And even you would be surprised. In Africa, people used to like Trump. I know. Because at least he was not coming to mingle in our people. Mass with your people. People were like, okay, these are whatever whole countries I don't get there. This is your business. But because the US, for example, is pledging $55 billion for Africa. But for what? I don't know. I'm going to ask you. For a bunch of beggars or to really... Or for businesses or what is it for? I mean, it's for security. In other words, is that the military? Military. It's also for climate change. What does that mean? I mean, it's like maybe we'll help you fight climate change. But Africa needs more than that. Africa needs to have access to education, access to democracy, the rule of law. And most of the systems over there are not in favor of that. So no matter how much money you put in these countries in Africa, you won't have a good result. It's like the same way we're pouring money into Ukraine. Where this money goes? God knows. Nobody knows. I mean, I hope he helps. Goes into guns. I hope he helps. But we need to redefine our relationship as countries around the world. We need to be tough together. Not only one country that wants the other countries to work in such a manner. No, we all have to sit down. The U.S. also is pledging to give to Africa a seat at the G20 summit, which is the 20 most important economies in the world. But Africa is there for what? As a prosperous economy or just a beggar? Well, you tell me. You tell us. Because to be there, you have to earn that. So again, we want the African Union to have a seat there or to have African countries have a seat at the Security Council. How about dismantling the Security Council and making it a general assembly? I know. So Africa will be there just for that little school. Brother? You get to sit there and then you say yes to everything? Yes. Well, no, you don't say yes to Russia and China. Only to the West. So the new generation in Africa doesn't want that. And they all want Morocco to win. They want Morocco to win. But I like the team of France. They're very good, though. And they're the same people. Yes. If you look at the... Let's look at those pictures. If you look at the team of Morocco and that of France... It's the same. It's almost the same. Right. Because France now has a lot of black and brown people within France, right? Yes. We call it even the team of France. It's like the same way they had these soldiers from Africa who went to fight the World War... Right. Right. Right. On behalf of France. Right. Or on behalf of Britain. Britain. Right. In World War I. It's unfortunate. But anyway, thank you very much. Oh, my pleasure. But we'll have to be back and talk about the results. Yeah. Correct? Especially of the soccer match. Right. Okay. And then we'll see what this summit in Washington... Right. ...will give birth to... It's about time, though, that the U.S. is paying attention, right? Yes. I mean, me, I would like the U.S. to use one of their best resources. Culture. Culture. Mm-hmm. And the African... The new Americans from Africa that are here thriving that could be the new economic ambassadors. Thank you. To Africa. Yes, why not? Okay. All right. See you later. Thank you.