This photo taken on Oct. 9, 2023 shows the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

U.S. President Donald Trump's recent remarks about Liberian President Joseph Boakai's "good English" has drawn widespread criticism across Africa, with many decrying the comment as condescending and reflective of ignorance about the continent.

MONROVIA, July 12 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump's recent remarks about Liberian President Joseph Boakai's "good English" has drawn widespread criticism across Africa, with many decrying the comment as condescending and reflective of ignorance about the continent.

The innocuous-looking commendation emerged on Wednesday during Trump's White House meeting with five visiting West African leaders, including Boakai.

Following Boakai's address at the meeting, Trump expressed surprise at his "beautiful English," asking where the Liberian president had learned to speak "so beautifully," and specifically if it was "in Liberia." Boakai confirmed his education was indeed in Liberia.

While the Liberian government has downplayed the incident, saying that no offense was taken and Trump was simply acknowledging Liberia's American-influenced accent, the uproar from much of the African public, particularly online, told a different story.

With many expressing a sense of indignation and disappointment at Trump's comment, African netizens have been vocal in their opinions on platforms like X and Facebook, noting that English is the official language of Liberia, a nation founded in the 19th century by freed American slaves.

"It is disappointing that a world leader would be so unaware of the official language of a country with such deep historical ties to the U.S.," wrote Sam Yates, a Liberian living in Nigeria, on Facebook. "Does Trump think we only speak 'jungle' languages? English is taught in schools across Africa, often to a very high standard."

Students are seen on the first day of a new semester at a school in Johannesburg, South Africa, Jan. 15, 2025. (Photo by Shiraaz Mohamed/Xinhua)

"We didn't go to Washington for an English-speaking competition. We went for substantive discussions on mutual development and partnership," Yates opined.

Many netizens reacted angrily to a lingering stereotype that even though colonial history established English, French and Portuguese as official languages in much of Africa, Africans are still not expected to speak them fluently.

Some netizens linked Trump's comments to broader issues of Western perceptions of Africa, arguing that the remarks underscored a tendency among some Westerners to view Africa through a lens of aid dependency or cultural exoticism, rather than as a continent with diverse, modern societies and highly educated populations.

"This is not a compliment; it is an insult thinly veiled as praise. It shows a fundamental lack of understanding and respect for African intellect and education," wrote Richard Donkor, an X user from Ghana.

Foday Massaquio, chairman of Liberia's opposition Congress for Democratic Change-Council of Patriots, said the focus of the White House meeting was misdirected, describing Trump's remarks as "disrespectful."

He also noted the U.S. leader's lack of respect for African leaders. "President Trump was condescending; he was very disrespectful to the African leader... And this proves that the West is not taking us seriously as Africans," said Massaquio.

This photo taken on Nov. 26, 2024 shows the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, Nigeria. (Xinhua/Wang Guansen)

Earlier this year, Lawal Sale, a global affairs analyst based in Abuja, the Nigerian capital, alerted African leaders to Trump's often unconventional communication style during scheduled meetings with foreign leaders.

He reiterated the sentiment in a Facebook post on Thursday, saying the Liberian leader was "belittled" by Trump. "I had earlier cautioned that African leaders planning to meet Trump should prepare for this kind of encounter. So embarrassing and belittling," he wrote.

While the online furore continues, with demands for equal respect and accurate understanding of African nations on the global stage, a group of Liberian citizens is planning a "hero's welcome" at the airport when Boakai returns at 5:00 p.m. local time (0500 GMT) on Friday.

"As Liberian citizens, we are happy and proud that among the African leaders invited to the White House for the meeting with President Trump, our leader got a good commendation," Lawrence Fahnbulleh, one of the event organizers, told Xinhua via telephone.

"The furore that this has generated is a matter of context. We see the remarks as good for Liberia's image, but others are free to express their opinions," he added.