IPNEWS-Monrovia: President Joe Biden is hosting leaders from across the African continent in Washington, DC beginning today, December 13-15, 2022, for the U.S.-Africa Leaders’ Summit.

The Summit will demonstrate the United States enduring commitment to Africa, and underscore the importance of U.S.-Africa relations and increased cooperation on shared global priorities.

On the sidelines of the summit, President Joe Biden is scheduled to meet presidents from South Africa, Rwanda, Namibia, Egypt, Ghana, Djibouti, Senegal, Nigeria, and a few others.

Unfortunately, sources tell IPNEWS that an initial meeting scheduled with Liberia’a President George Manneh Weah, has been called off. There has been no reason for the cancellation.

The presidential press secretary to president George Weah is yet to respond to an earlier SMS message by IPNEWS over the abrupt cancellation.

“Africa will shape the future — not just the future of the African people, but of the world. Africa will make a difference in tackling the most urgent challenges and seizing the opportunities we all face. 

The U.S.-Africa Leaders’ Summit will build on our shared values to better: 

• Foster new economic engagement
• Advance peace, security, and good governance
• Reinforce commitment to democracy, human rights, and civil society
• Work collaboratively to strengthen regional and global health security
• Promote food security
• Respond to the climate crisis
• Amplify diaspora ties
• Promote education and youth leadership”

“I look forward to working with African governments, civil society, and diaspora communities across the United States, and the private sector to continue strengthening our shared vision for the future of U.S.-Africa relations.” – JOSEPH R. BIDEN PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

Biden to Reboot Ties with Africa during the U.S. – Africa Leaders’ Summit

The summit brings together several African leaders, organizations, and top US government officials.

Biden’s three-day summit (13-15 Dec.) will feature announcements of new US investment and highlight food security — worsened by the invasion of Ukraine. The summit will also focus on values such as democracy and good governance, as well as fighting climate change.

One key topic will be the fate of the African Growth and Opportunity Act, the 2000 deal that granted duty-free access to the US market for most products from sub-Saharan nations that meet standards on rights and democracy.

The pact expires in 2025, leading African leaders to seek clarity at a time when the United States has soured on trade deals. The United States had invited all African Union members in good standing and with which Washington has full relations.

US-Africa Set to Iron out Duty-Free Trade Pact Future at Summit

The US resolve to claw back lost influence in Africa will be put to the test this week when dozens of the continent’s leaders and officials gather for three days of talks with their American counterparts in Washington.

A top priority of President Joe Biden’s US-Africa Leaders’ Summit, which aims to increase cooperation on some of the world’s most pressing issues, will be to map out the future of market access.

Amidst Push for War Crimes Court: Pres. George Weah, Addresses U.S.-Africa Summit Today

Liberia President Weah will today Tuesday, December 13, 2022, address the second edition of the United States Africa Summit.

President Weah is also later in the afternoon expected to address the African and Diaspora Young Leaders Forum at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, an Executive press statement says.

The Liberian Chief Executive is expected to use his address to elevate diaspora engagement to strengthen dialogue between US officials and the African community in the US and provide a platform for young African leaders to fashion innovative solutions to unrelenting challenges.

The Forum, which also highlights higher education, creative industries, and environmental equity, is being held under the theme, “Amplifying Voices–Building Partnerships that Last”.

President Weah is also expected to call on the Diaspora community to work with the US, Africa, and African Leaders for the good of the African Continent. He will underscore the importance of US-Africa relations, and call for increased cooperation on shared global priorities.

He will also urge the United States to continue to demonstrate an enduring commitment to the African Continent.

This year’s forum is being hosted by President Joseph R. Biden.

Ahead of the summit today, back home, there are worrying signals for warlords over U.S. recent support for the establishment of the war and economics crimes court in Liberia.

There are reports of rebel generals in the Liberian Capital holding secret meetings, even though details of those meetings were not made available.

NEWS in an SMS message to the alleged host of those meetings, former rebel leader Prince Y. Johnson declined to comment following the NEWS request.

Will Pres. Biden Holds Bilateral Talks with Pres. Weah in Washington?

Deputy Information Minister Boakai Fofana (2nd from left) flanked by deputy press secretary Smith Toby (left), Deputy Director General for Administration, Tetee Gebro (2nd from right), and presidential Aid Sekou Kalasco Damaru (left) in a panel discussion ahead of President Weah’s address today at the Summit 

Since his ascendancy in 2018 as President of Liberia, Mr. George Weah before the Joe Biden-Africa Leaders’ Summit 2022 invitation, has never officially visited Washington DC on an invitation of the United States government.

The United States being Liberia’s number one ally has in the past invited elected Presidents to the White House in Washington DC to discuss bilateral issues as it was with immediate past President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Former President Sirleaf was almost at all times invited by former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, leading to several US supports to the Liberian government in health, education, climate, the military, agriculture, and forestry, among many others.

When Weah became President of Liberia, former US President Donald Trump was in the White House, and Trump did not regard Africa and even referred to the continent as a place of ‘shithole countries. So according to pundits, it was understandably deduced that Trump was not prepared to give credence to African leaders by inviting them to the White House for bilateral discussions based on a given US interest. Trump referred to black people as ‘lazy’ who were only interested in having lots of children.

After Trump’s presidency came to an end in disgrace in 2022 having been defeated by Joe Biden, to the point that he (Trump was reluctant to vacate the White House), Liberians home and abroad believed that the new US president, Joe Biden would return to the regular US policy by inviting to the White House its number one ally country in Africa, Liberia which is headed by President George Weah.

Despite the Weah government paying hundreds of thousands of United States dollars to lobbyists in Washington with the hope to lobby Washington to grant an invitation to the Liberian leader, all landed on unfertile grounds. President Weah did not get the opportunity to be invited by Washington for a bilateral discussion about US-Liberia bilateral ties.

But in June of 2022 US vice president, Kamala Harris, as well as President Joe Biden announced that the US government would reconvene the United States – Africa Leaders’ Summit, initially instituted by former US President Barack Obama in 2014, and that Washington would invite African leaders to the Summit to discuss issues affecting both the US and Africa in general.

Months later, in Monrovia, US Ambassador to Liberia Michael A. McCarthy informed Liberians and the world at large that President George Weah had been invited to attend the US-Africa Leaders’ Summit at the invitation of US president Joe Biden.

It became a relief for Liberians, the CDC government, and all well-meaning friends of Liberia who want to see the cordial relations that exist between Liberia and the United States return to their regular status, where any Liberian President can fly to Washington and hold discussions in the interest of the country and its people.

As the US-Africa Leaders’ Summit kicks off today, December 13, 2022, in Washington, Deputy Information Minister for Technical Services, Boakai Fofana, who is traveling with President Weah in an early morning interview with local radio in Monrovia, OK FM, when quizzed whether the Liberian leader will by any means have the opportunity to meet US president Joe Biden on the sidelines of the Summit to discuss US-Liberia bilateral talks, Minister Fofana could not confirm nor deny if there are any plans by Washington to hold a bilateral discussion with President Weah.

“As you know President Biden is hosting about 49 delegations from the continent of Africa, who he will be addressing at a dinner on Wednesday, December 14 over issues affecting both Africa and the US, so to say that the US president will put that aside to single-handedly choose one President to hold a bilateral discussion seems most unlikely, but you never know, because it is only the White House that can determine who President Biden meets during the Summit,” Deputy Minister Fofana told OK FM.

Also, Deputy Fofana disclosed that there are several discussions scheduled with different groups, so it is not known whether the US president will specifically hold bilateral discussions with President Weah on the sidelines of the Summit, judging from the fact Joe Biden has a handful on his plate with about 49 African delegations at the Summit who he hosts.

Meanwhile, political pundits, commentators, and experts have intoned that US President Joe Biden will not be able to meet Liberia President George Weah for any bilateral discussions taking into consideration that the Summit last only three days to discuss issues and the huge number of African leaders and delegates makes it highly impossible for Pres. Biden to meet any president single-handedly, that is why he chose to meet them in the group over dinner on Wednesday, December 14 when he addresses issues as stated above that affect Africa and the United States.

Bookmakers are watching as one may never know as anything can happen. Nobody knows the plans of President Biden as far as holding sidelines meeting with any African president, including President George Weah of Liberia, only it is the White House that can determine that.