Denouncing immigration to his country from El Salvador, Haiti and the African continent, US President Donald Trump called these countries as “shithole countries”, according to the US media.
“Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?” Trump asked at a meeting with Congress members at the White House on Thursday.
Trump suggested the US should instead focus its immigrant entry policy only on rich countries such as Norway.
His denunciation of such poor countries as ” shithole countries” have outraged many nations in Africa and also the African Americans.
International organisations including the UN and the African Union, politicians and people from African countries and Caribbeans have considered Donald Trump’s remarks as “racist and xenophobic”, and demanded him to retract and apologize.
Earlier, the African Union continental body told The Associated Press it was “frankly alarmed” by Trump’s comments.
“Given the historical reality of how many Africans arrived in the United States as slaves, this statement flies in the face of all accepted behaviour and practice.
“This is particularly surprising as the United States of America remains a global example of how migration gave birth to a nation built on strong values of diversity and opportunity,” AU spokeswoman Ebba Kalondo said.
Africa analyst Adama Gaye told Al Jazeera, “Trump has shown a continuous display of racism towards Africa and people from poor nations.”
Meanwhile, South African opposition leader Mmusi Maimane called Trump’s comments “abhorrent … The hatred of Obama’s roots now extends to an entire continent.”
Defending Trump, a report says, the White House on Friday issued a statement saying: “Certain Washington politicians choose to fight for foreign countries, but President Trump will always fight for the American people,” instead of challenging the authenticity of Trump’s comments.@Malaysia World News
