During a pomp-filled, wine-filled, dignitary-heavy state dinner with Monica Geingos, the first lady of Namibia, and her husband, President Hage Geingob, on Thursday, Jill Biden, the first lady of the United States, hailed Namibia’s dynamic democracy.
Biden stated, “I’m delighted to be here supporting a robust democracy. “A young democracy that is cooperating, as Monica noted yesterday. African voices, African leadership, and African innovation are all essential to addressing the most pressing global concerns and attaining the goal we all share of a world that is free, as Joe stated at the summit.”
The inaugural meeting of Namibia’s upper house of parliament following independence also marks its 30th anniversary on Thursday.
After meeting Biden at the U.S. Africa Leaders Forum in Washington in December, Geingos, a Namibian businesswoman and attorney who is the president’s third wife, claimed she invited Biden to come.
Unavoidably, there will be discrepancies, she remarked. “The significance of the Biden presidency, though, lies elsewhere. Decency, democracy, and diplomacy are those things. Connectivity and opportunity are being celebrated at this luncheon.”
In the vicinity of the nation’s capital, Windhoek, Biden will also stop by a U.S.-funded initiative that aims to empower women and children while assuring them access to resources for health and economic opportunity. She will also address college students on Friday on empowering young people.
One such child, Moses Fillpus, the Windhoek junior mayor, thanked Vice President Biden for coming and commended American ideals.
In front of 200 representatives of Namibia’s highest levels of society, politics, and diplomacy, the 17-year-old jokingly said, “Congratulate me for not fainting.”
As an African youngster growing up, I simply consumed American media to the extent that I even knew more about it than my own, he added. “And I believe that I can speak for the majority of young people when I say that the ambition of the modern youth is to realise the American dream that we see on TV so frequently.”
Biden claimed that Namibia was selected because of its vibrant and upbeat atmosphere after his arrival on Wednesday.
As this democracy is still relatively new, Biden added, “we decided to come because we want to encourage democracies all across the world.” “Our connection is merely continuing after we first met in December. I feel comfortable saying that Monica and I hit it off right away.”
Biden, who is visiting Namibia for the first time as an incumbent first lady, said Geingos would like to show him a lot of the country.
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“The democracy there is quite active. Youth make up a significant portion of our population, and they are the engine of our democracy. They are highly motivated and supported not just by the principles of our constitution but also by those of our leaders personally “added the geingos.
President Joseph Biden promised to send government representatives to Africa last year; Jill Biden is the first official from the White House to visit the region. After earlier this year’s visitors, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. ambassador to the UN, and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, she follows in their footsteps.
Like Biden, Thomas-Greenfield centred a portion of her trip around the food security challenge in East Africa; Biden wants to emphasise this issue when she visits Kenya later this week. These high-profile visits are taking place, though, since high-ranking Russian and Chinese officials are travelling more frequently to the continent.
Although the country is a multiparty democracy, Geingob’s South West Africa People’s Organization has held the position of government since the country gained independence more than three decades ago. Moreover, backing for the liberation effort came from other nations. In Heroes’ Acre, a tribute to those who fought for the country’s independence, earlier on Wednesday, Biden laid a wreath.
Perhaps as a result of the fact that both memorials were constructed by the same North Korean company, the former’s brutalist sculpture and vast stone expanses have an uncanny resemblance to the Heroes’ Acre in the capital of Zimbabwe. The State House, where Biden was welcomed by the first couple, was built by the same company and is imposing in style. It is made of grey cement.
Jill Biden is travelling to Kenya on Friday. While there, she plans to use her platform and reputation to raise awareness of problems such as children’s rights, women’s empowerment, and the famine crisis that is once again destroying the Horn of Africa.
