UN calls Trump slur on Haiti and African countries 'racist'

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The United Nations called US President Donald’s Trump’s remarks on African nations and Haiti “racist," after he reportedly called them "shithole" countries in a meeting.

Spokesman for the UN human rights office, Ruper Colville, told reporters in Geneva on Friday, "If confirmed, these are shocking and shameful comments from the President of the United States. Sorry, but there is no other word one can use but 'racist'."

The comments come after Trump lashed out in a Thursday meeting with lawmakers about immigration reform, demanding to know why the US should accept citizens from what he called “shithole” countries.

The comments were first reported by The Washington Post and later backed up by The New York Times.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s remark is extremely offensive to South Africa, a senior official with the ruling African National Congress party said on Friday.

President Donald Trump, listens as Representative Steny Hoyer, D-MD, speaks during a meeting with legislators on immigration reform in the Cabinet Room of the White House on January 9, 2018 in Washington, DC. / VCG Photo

"Ours is not a shithole country. Neither is Haiti or any other country in distress," Jessie Duarte, the deputy secretary general of the ANC, said at a news conference in South Africa's Eastern Cape province.

Trump's comments have sparked anger in the international community.

Colville also took issue with Trumps reported suggestion that the United States should welcome immigrants from places like Norway, whose population is overwhelmingly white, instead of from African countries and Haiti.

"You cannot dismiss entire countries and continents as 'shitholes' whose entire populations, who are not white, are therefore not welcome," Colville said.

"The positive comment on Norway makes the underlying sentiment very clear," Colville added. "This is perhaps the single most damaging and dangerous consequence of this type of comment by a major political figure."

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Source(s): AFP ,Reuters