African ambassadors at the United Nations have met with the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. about the reported remarks U.S. President Donald Trump made referring to African nations as “s---hole countries.”
Anatolio Ndong Mba, Equatorial Guinea’s U.N. ambassador and head of the U.N.’s 54-nation African Group, said Nikki Haley “regretted” the fallout from the comments.
Last week, the African Group said in a statement that Trump’s remarks were “outrageous, racist and xenophobic.” The group demanded an apology and a retraction.
Friendly, frank meeting
Several diplomats who attended the U.N. meeting said it was recommended during the session with Haley that Trump send a message to an African leaders summit in Addis Ababa, Jan. 28 and 29.
Ndong Mba said the meeting with Haley was “very friendly” and “very frank.”
Trump is reported to have made the remarks in a White House meeting last week about immigration. He is reported to have referred to immigrants from Haiti, El Salvador and Africa as coming from “s---hole countries.”
According to some in the room, the president said he wants the U.S. to have immigrants from countries like Norway. He also apparently said he wants to exclude Haiti from an immigration reform deal.
Trump and several politicians who attended the meeting where the remarks were reported to have been made are now denying that the president made the comments.
Ambassadors' letter
Meanwhile, 78 former U.S. ambassadors to African countries sent a letter to the White House stating their “deep concern” about the president’s vulgar comment about the African continent.
“As former U.S. Ambassadors to 48 African countries, we write to express our deep concern regarding reports of your recent remarks about African Countries and to attest to the importance of our partnerships with most of the 54 African nations.”
African ambassadors based in Washington are meeting Friday to decide how to respond to Trump’s alleged remarks.
