World Infuriated by Trump’s ‘Shithole’ Remark, Africa Demands Apology

The African Union has demanded an apology from U.S President, Donald Trump over the derogatory comments he is reported to have made while referring to African countries whose immigrants go to America seeking asylum. The body that brings together African states condemned the statements and asked that President Trump retracts the statement.

International media media has since Friday been awash with news stories reporting that Trump used an abusive and racist word to describe African countries. He allegedly called them “shithole countries”.

On Thursday, a section of legislators discussed with President Donald Trump on a bipartisan proposal that seeks to impose new restrictions on immigration but protect the so-called “Dreamers” – hundreds of thousands of immigrants including Africans brought to the US illegally as children – from deportation.

“Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?” Trump is quoted by the Washington Post to have reacted to the proposal.

Although Trump denies having used the word “shithole”, Democratic Senator Dick Durbin who attended the meeting has confirmed on record to the media that Trump used the word several times and that he used “racist” language.

Following the growing condemnation towards Trump, the African Union (AU) Mission in Washington D.C has issued a statement read expressing “infuriation, disappointment and outrage” over remarks that “dishonor the celebrated American creed and respect for diversityand human dignity”.

“The African Union condemns the comments in the strongest terms and demands a retraction of the comments as well as an apology not only to Africans but to all people of African decent around the globe,” the statement further read.

The AU described this as yet another pointer to the huge misunderstanding of the African continent and its people by the Trump administration.

Moussa Faki Mahamat, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission was equally “dismayed by the unfortunate remarks attributed to the President of the United States on migrants from African countries, Haiti and El Salvador”.

“I am all the more dismayed as the USA is a unique example of how migration contributes to nation-building based on values of diversity, tolerance and opportunity,” Mahamat tweeted on Friday.

The United Nations human rights spokesman Rupert Colville said the comments were “shocking and shameful”, adding that there was no other word to describe them other than “racist”.

Uganda’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Okello Oryem termed Trump’s remark as unfortunate and regrettable.

“We pray that God gives him wisdom to change his mind about people who are suffering and seeking safe haven in America,” Minister Oryem said on Saturday.

In his reaction, the ruling ANC party Deputy Secretary General, Jessie Duarte in South Africa commented; “Ours is not a shithole country and neither is Haiti or any other country in distress”.

“And it is extremely offensive for President Trump to make statements about other countries that are really not complimentary of the US’s position or policy positions on those countries.”

Mexico’s former president, Vicente Fox, an outspoken critic of Trump, tweeted that Trump’s mouth was “the foulest shithole in the world. With what authority do you announce who is welcome in America and who is not? America’s greatness is based on diversity, or have you forgotten your migration background, Donald?”

Key among Trump’s top pledges to America during his controversy-marred campaign was to build a wall between the U.S and Mexico to stop migrants along with other radical policies against immigration.