UN summit: Unlike their counterparts, African presidents went to beg, not to lead

President William Ruto and French President Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of United Nations General Assembly in New York, on Spetember 25, 2025. [PCS]

When the world gathers at the United Nations, it is meant to be a theatre of power, not a charity shop. Yet at this year’s General Assembly, many African presidents treated the stage as a begging platform: Appeals for money, plaintive catalogues of suffering, and few strategic offers of leadership. The photos from New York captured tired faces, not a continent’s resolve. Instead of commanding the room, too many leaders pleaded for pity.