GABORONE-(MaraviPost)-The government of Botswana has become a first African country to react and shoot down United States (US) President, Donald Trump’s ‘shithole’ remarks to Haiti and African countries.
Maravi Post established that the US President made the controversial remarks on Thursday when he questioned why the US would accept any more immigrants from Haiti and “shithole countries” in Africa rather than from Norway.
This came after two senators presented details of a bipartisan immigration deal which Trump rejected.
According to a press statement released by the Botswana government on Thursday, Minister of International Affairs and Cooperation summoned the US Ambassador to Botswana to express its displeasure at the utterances made by Trump.
The statement further said that Botswana wants clarification from Trump if he also included Botswana as ‘shithole’ country regarding that they are Botswana nationals residing in the US and that some US residents may wish to visit Botswana.
“Botswana government is wondering why Trump use such kind of disruptor as well as derogatory word when talking about countries with whom the US has had cordial and mutual bilateral relations for so many years,” reads part of the statement.
Adding “Botswana has accepted US citizens within her border over the years and countries to host US guests and senior government officials including a Congressional delegation that will come to Botswana at the end of this month. This is why we review the utterances by the current American President as a highly irresponsible and racist.”
In other side, the African Union says it is “frankly alarmed” by President Donald Trump’s statement in which he used vulgar language to question why the U.S. would accept more immigrants from African countries and Haiti.
“Given the historical reality of how many Africans arrived in the United States as slaves, this statement flies in the face of all accepted behavior and practice,” AU spokeswoman Ebba Kalondo tells The Associated Press.
“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.”
She adds that “we believe that a statement like this hurts our shared global values on diversity, human rights and reciprocal understanding.”
South Africa’s ruling African National Congress called Trump’s comments “extremely offensive,” while opposition leader Mmusi Maimane said “the hatred of Obama’s roots now extends to an entire continent.”
Uganda’s state minister for international relations, Henry Okello Oryem, called the remarks “unfortunate and regrettable” and hoped that heads of state will reply at an African Union summit later this month.
African media outlets and the continent’s young, increasingly connected population were not shy, with some tweeting sleek photos of African landscapes and urban areas with the hashtag of the word.
Meanwhile, the republican of Haiti says it is “deeply shocked and outraged” by President Donald Trump’s reported vulgar remark on migration calling it “racist.”
The Haitian government says in a statement that “these insulting and reprehensible statements in no way reflect the virtues of wisdom, restraint and discernment that must be cultivated by any high political authority.”
Trump has however on Friday denied that he used the vulgar expression, saying “this was not the language used.”