A statement made by Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, that his principal is the first African head of Government to visit US President Donald Trump at the White House, has sparked debate among Nigerians and exposed how major American Media houses considered Egypt more of Middle East than Africa.
Garba had said the President is in the US to discuss, among other things, Nigeria’s fight against insurgency and economic development.
“Buhari is the first African head of government to visit Trump’s White House and this is a pointer to two important things. One is, no matter how Nigerians take our own country, this is hugely an important country and this recognition is being manifested in this visit.
“And for the President personally, it is equally important that of all of the heads of state we have in the continentthat he of all of them has come forwarded to meet President Donald Trump.”
His assertions did not go well with Reno Omokri, an aide to the former President Goodluck Jonathan, who discarded Garba’s statement as false.
According to Omokri, Buhari is not the first African leader to have paid a visit to President Trump, as Egyptian President, Abdel Fatah Al-Sisi, has been previously hosted at the White House.
“Dear Garba Shehu, you said Buhari “is the first African head of government to visit the Trump White House and this is a pointer to important things.
“Your statement is not factual. President Trump met Egyptian President, Al-Sisi on April 2, 2017 at the White House. Pls be truthful.” Omokri wrote.
The Egyptian President visited Trump at the White House in April of 2017, and the US President iterated his support for his (Sisi’s) leadership and fight against terrorism.
“I just want to let everybody know that we are very much behind President Sisi; he has done a fantastic job in a very difficult situation. You have a great friend and ally in the United States – and in me.”
How the West sees Egypt
While the visit was true, many in the western world do not believe Egypt to an African State and this reflected in how various Media outlet reported the story. They did not identify Egypt as being from Africa, but rather an Arab ally of the United States.
According to Los Angeles Times report of the story titled “Trump receives Egypt’s Sisi at White House in week of high-stakes diplomacy”, President Trump held private meetings “with one of the United States’ most important Arab allies, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sisi”.
It also reads that “Egypt is one of the few Arab countries to maintain diplomatic ties with Israel and serves as a backstop control over the Palestinian Gaza Strip.”
This position was re-echoed by Reuters when the two Presidents met in Saudi Arabia in May of the same year, with Trump hoping to visit Egypt soon.
The story titled: “Trump praises Sisi, says he hopes to visit Egypt”, quoted Trump to have said “We’ve really been through a lot together positively. I will get to Egypt.
“We will absolutely be putting that on the list very soon. Sisi had “done a tremendous job under trying circumstance.”
The Media then wrote that
“Egypt is one of Washington’s closest allies in the Middle East, receiving $1.3 billion in U.S. military aid annually.”
Egypt is one of the transcontinental Countries in the world, sharing borders with Northwest of Africa to Southwest of Asia.
Transcontinental Countries are countries whose national territory spans more than one continent. Egypt is one of them with Suez Canal being the border that divided it African part from Asia part.
The Country is also officially called the Arab Republic of Egypt, though most of its political unionism is in Africa; including the African Union, The African Collaboration League, among others.
Historical and ethnic perspective has made it more of an Arab Country which is what is recognized by the West, even though it is only a small part of its landmass that sits in Asia.
This view is perhaps why The Washington Post reported its story with the wrong headline “Trump finally hosts African leader at the White House”
The same headline was reported by New York Times, FoxNews, CNBC among others.
A Prime Minister, A Head of Government
In December 2017, the Prime Minister of Libya, Fayez al-Sarraj, also paid a visit to the United States’ President where bilateral relationship and future partnerships were discussed.
While Mr. Garba said “Head of Government”, Libya is still preparing for the first President after Muammar Gaddafi. However, Head of Government may include the first or the second in command in government.
Head of Government (or Chief of Government) is a term used for either the highest or second-highest official in the executive branch of a sovereign state, a federated state, or a self-governing colony, who often presides over a cabinet, a group of Ministers or Secretaries who lead executive departments. This seems to fit Prime Minister Al-Sarraj.
The Prime Minister is also the Chairman of the Presidential Council of Libya and Prime Minister of the Government of National Accord of Libya that was formed as a result of the Libyan Political Agreement signed on 17 December 2015.
