Five tins Trump suppose know about Liberia and why dem sabi speak 'beta English'

BBC News

10-07-2025

US President Donald Trump praise Liberian President Joseph Boakai as im speak "beta English" and e ask am which school e go.
Wetin Trump fit don miss be say Liberia share unique and long-standing connection wit di US.
English na di kontri official language and many Liberians dey tok wit American accent sake of dose historical ties to di US.
E fit be di accent wey Trump pick.
Hia na five tins to know about di kontri:
Na freed slaves found Liberia
Na African-American slaves establish Liberia in 1822 bifor dem declare independence in 1847.
Thousands of black Americans and liberated Africans - wey dem rescue from transatlantic slave ships - settle for Liberia during di colonial era.
Former US President Abraham Lincoln officially declare Liberia independence in 1862 but di kontri retain lot of US heritage ande e remain di American "sphere of influence" during di colonial period.
Due to dis integration, Liberian culture, landmarks, and institutions get strong African-American influence.
Ten out of 26 Liberian presidents - dem born dem for US.
Di descendants of dis freed slaves, wey dem sabi as Americo-Liberians, dominate di kontri for ova100 years.
Indigenous Liberians no like am and di last president from dat community, William Tolbert, dem overthrown im goment and kill am for one coup in 1980.
Dem be one quarter of di population, according to di Britannica website, but di kontri get more dan two dozen native languages wey locals dey use communicate.
President Boakai na from di Kissi ethnic group and e suppose don speak im mama language, bifor e learn to dey speak English for school.
Di capital name na afta one US former president
Liberia capital, na Monrovia in honour of America 5th President, James Monroe wey be di strong supporter of di American Colonization Society (ACS).
Di ACS na di organisation wey dey responsible for resettling freed African-Americans for West Africa - wey eventually lead to di founding of Liberia.
Not surprisingly di early architecture of di city dey influenced by American-style buildings.
Many streets for Monrovia dey named afta American colonial figures, reflecting di city founding and historical ties to di US.
Nearly identical flags
Di flag of Liberia dey closely resemble di American flag. E feature 11 alternating red and white stripes and blue square with one single white star.
Di white star symbolise Liberia as di first independent republic for Africa.
Di US flag, in comparison, get 13 stripes wey dey represent di original 13 colonies and 50 stars, one for each state.
Na seven black women design Liberian flag - dem born all of dem for America.
Ex-president son play for US football team
Timothy Weah, na di son of Liberia former President George Weah, e be American professional soccer player wey dey play for Italian club Juventus as well as di US national team.
Dem born di 25-year-old forward in di US but e start im professional career wit Paris St-Germain in France, wia e win di Ligue 1 title bifor e move on loan to di Scottish team, Celtic.
Im papa, George, na Liberian football legend wey win di 1995 Ballon d'Or wen e bin dey play for Juventus Italian rivals AC Milan. Na di only African winner to win dis award and dem elect am as president in 2018.
Former president win di Nobel Peace Prize
Liberia produce Africa first elected female president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
Dem elect am in 2005, two years afta di nation bloody civil war end, and she serve as president until 2018.
Sirleaf get strong American background as she study for Madison Business College and later go to Harvard University wia she graduate as economist.
She don collect worldwide recognition and accolades for maintaining peace during her administration.
In 2011, alongside wit Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkul Karmān, she win di Nobel Prize for Peace for her efforts to further women rights.
In 2016, Forbes list her among di most powerful women in di world.
Wetin Liberians tink about Trump comments?
Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti deny say na awkward moment, e tok say na "lack of understanding" around di world about di languages wey pipo of Africa heritage dey speak in Africa, she describe Africa as"multi-lingual continent".
"Liberia get American English intonation and I believe say President Trump hear something familiar in di way President Boakai tok, e dey different from di way odas speak on di continent," she telll di BBC Newsday programme.
"We no dey offended at all," she tok, di two kontris bin get history togeda.
Liberians get different mixed reaction about si matta.
Accountant Joseph Manley, 40, tell di BBC say dem suppose don follow Trump tok properly bifor e meet wit Liberia leader.
"Liberia na English-speaking kontri. Our president represent dis kontri wit rich educational tradition."
For human resources professional Henrietta Peter-Mogballah, Di US president surprise show say Boakai eloquence reflect broader problem of global ignorance about African nations and dia pipo.
"From travel experiences and observations, most citizens of oda nations outside Africa no know a lot about African kontris," she tok. "Di few wey sabi small, dia minds dey clouded by narratives of war, poverty, and lack of education."
However lawyer and politician Kanio Gbala agree wit di foreign minister say e no mean any insult.
"I believe President Trump remark na genuine compliment on President Boakai command of English," e tell di BBC. "No evidence of sarcasm. if you see am as disrespectful e fit reflect political agendas."