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African states demand Trump apologise for racist remark




The African group of ambassadors to the United Nations has demanded an apology from Donald Trump, after the US president reportedly aimed a racist remark at some Caribbean nations and Africa. 
Trump criticised immigration to his country from El Salvador, Haiti and the African continent, by calling the group "shithole countries" at a meeting with Congress members at the White House on Thursday, according to US media.
"The African Union mission to the UN is extremely appalled at, and strongly condemns the outrageous, racist and xenophobic remarks attributed to the US president as widely reported by the media," Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, Ghana's ambassador to the UN, said on Friday. 
The group has demanded a retraction and apology from Trump.
According to US media reports, citing people with knowledge of the conversation, Trump asked during a conversation about immigration: "Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?"
Trump suggested the US should instead focus its immigrant entry policy on countries such as Norway.


Donald J. Trump
✔@realDonaldTrump
Never said anything derogatory about Haitians other than Haiti is, obviously, a very poor and troubled country. Never said “take them out.” Made up by Dems. I have a wonderful relationship with Haitians. Probably should record future meetings - unfortunately, no trust!
2:48 PM - Jan 12, 2018

He later tweeted that he has "never said anything derogatory about Haitians other than Haiti is, obviously a very poor and troubled country".
The Republican president has also privately defended his remarks, saying he was only expressing what many people think but will not say about immigrants from economically depressed countries, the Associated Press reported.
Democrats have dismissed Trump's denial of the offensive comments, with Senator Dick Durbin, who attended the meeting, disputing Trump's account.
"He said these hate-filled things and he said them repeatedly," Durbin told reporters on Friday. 
Members of his own Republican party have also distanced themselves from Trump's comments. 
"It is incomprehensible that these words came out of the mouth of the president of the United States of America, a country that was founded on being free from discrimination," said Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Republican congresswoman.

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA NEWS

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