World leaders clash: Divisions persist

German Chancellor Angela Merkel (L) and US President Donald Trump (R) prior to the start of the first working session of the G20 meeting in Hamburg, northern Germany, on July 7. (Photo by AFP)

These are the headlines we are tracking for you in this episode of On the News Line:

World leaders clash: Divisions persist

Differences between the US under President Donald Trump and what many now see as Washington’s former allies show no signs being resolved any time soon. Trump’s attendance at the G20 summit in Hamburg has once again exposed the deep divisions between the two sides over global issues and NATO. Ahead of flying to Hamburg, Trump visited Poland where he renewed his call for NATO members to pay their fair share to the military alliance---a thorny issue which is now stoking tension between the US and European members of the organization led by Germany.  German chancellor Angela Merkel has repeatedly said that Europe can no longer bank on the US as an ally. Some believe that this signals the end of the US leadership role in the western world.

US interference in Africa

The new chairman of the African Union this week questioned the commitment of the United States in fighting terrorism on the continent.  The criticism by Moussa Faki Mahamat came after Washington blocked efforts to get UN funding for an anti-extremism force in the Sahel. Faki told AFP in an interview that the force in the Sahel was a specific case of a certain number of African states taking the initiative to confront terrorism.  But he said he could not understand Washington’s decision to hold back UN funding for the initiative. This clearly was against America’s claims of championing a global fight against terrorism. Analysts are already speculating that the decision was in line with US policy of intervention in African affairs the instances of which are so many.


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