A photo shows two men sitting side by side in the living room of the suite where DRC’s President Félix Tshisekedi stayed during his visit to New York for the UN General Assembly at the end of September. The one on the left is Ziad Dalloul, the American-Lebanese founder and boss of the telecommunications group Africell. His hands are clasped and he has a somewhat withdrawn expression. On the right is Peter Pham, former ambassador to the Trump administration. He sports a collared shirt, adorned with an irremovable bow tie, and is engaged in a conversation with the Congolese president.
The picture, available on the Twitter account of the ex-ambassador, speaks volumes about Africell’s new relationship with the US government. President Joe Biden’s administration seems to have decided to make the telecoms group one of its tools of economic influence on the African continent.
#RDC #UNGA2021 23.09.2021/ #NewYorkCity
— Présidence RDC ?? (@Presidence_RDC) September 23, 2021
Le Chef de l'État s'est entretenu avec Peter Pham @DrJPPham l'ancien envoyé spécial américain pour la région des grands lacs et puis le Sahel. Il a salué le leadership du Président Tshisekedi à la tête de l'UA et son action en RDC pic.twitter.com/CXcyqcQB1y
Translation: DRC
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