Nearly 50 African heads of state have gathered for the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit in Washington D.C. this week to discuss trade, security and governance in the three-day summit.
While there has been a lot of talk about corruption, climate change and strengthening business ties, some other revealing agenda items were unveiled during the summit.
Here are some memorable moments from the summit:
1) U.S. Secretary John Kerry: Africa has “chronic hunger” but creating more farms in Africa causes too much carbon pollution.
During the Africa Summit “Resilience and Food Security in a Changing Climate” panel, Secretary of State John Kerry told an audience that “8,000 children die every day” and in sub-Sahara Africa, one in four suffer from chronic hunger.
Then a few minutes later, he stressed how creating new farms would cause too much carbon pollution so they need to discourage more farm land.
In other words: For the Obama administration, starvation in Africa will be solved by combating climate change not more farms.
2) Secretary Kerry revealed the administration’s top priority for Russia: reducing greenhouse gases.
While Russia has been bulking up by adding 8,000 more troops to the Ukraine border this week, Kerry says the Obama administration wants to meet in Paris to pressure Russia on the “reduction of greenhouse gases.”
3) President Obama couldn’t resist jabbing the House Republicans at the Africa Summit.
“Today, we are announcing $7 billion to create trade growth in Africa. Earlier today I announced a new advisory council of business leaders to make sure we are doing everything we can to help you do business in Africa. I would be remiss if I did not add that House Republicans can help by reauthorizing the Export-Import bill. That is the right thing to do,” President Obama told the crowd at the Africa Summit on Tuesday.
4) Senegal President Macky Sall had an awkward voice translator.
One would expect a baritone James Earl Jones-type voice translator for a statesman like Senegal President Macky Sall.
Unfortunately, the summit picked a his translator who sounded more like Ernie from Sesame Street. Perhaps next time, the summit will be more aware of their use of translators.
5) Biden’s Gaffes:
Vice President Biden told an audience on Monday at the Africa Leaders summit: “I’m not one of those folks who say ‘by the way, we have all the answers, let me share them with you.’ The truth of the matter is we don’t have all the answers. America is not perfect, in fact, far from it.”
Biden 2016 campaign slogan? “America is not perfect, in fact, far from it.”
The Daily Caller also reported on the another gaffe from Vice President Biden on Tuesday when he mixed up the continent of Africa as “the nation of Africa.”