US President Donald Trump in Switzerland on January 25, 2018. He said
the United States "deeply respects" Africans. PHOTO | NICHOLAS KAMM |
AFP
African leaders say they have decided to refrain from issuing a
resolution to criticise Donald Trump’s alleged reference to their
nations as “shithole countries” because the US president sent them a
letter expressing respect for the continent.
The
leaders who met at an African Union summit in the Ethiopian capital were
initially set to demand an apology from Trump over the remark reported
by sources at a meeting on immigration with him this month. Trump denies
making the comment.
Reports of the comment touched a
nerve because they come on top of decisions by the Trump administration,
particularly on visa restrictions, that many Africans say unfairly
penalize the continent.
Trump to apologise
As
the summit was being held at ministerial level, the gathering drafted a
resolution calling on Trump to “publicly apologise to all Africans”.
Anything
short of that would force them to suspend a cooperation deal signed
between Washington and the bloc, said the draft seen by Reuters.
African leaders are “dismayed and shocked by the increasingly
consistent trend by the Trump Administration to denigrate of African
descent ... thereby promoting racism, xenophobia and bigotry,” it said.
But a January 25 letter sent by Trump prompted a change of tack at presidential level.
One
summit official said the final resolution that is yet to be released
contains no reference to the issue after the leaders concluded the
meeting late on Monday.
US 'deeply respects' Africa
“I
want to underscore that the United States deeply respects the people of
Africa and my commitment to strong and respectful relationships with
African states as sovereign states is firm,” Trump said.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson would “travel to Africa for an extended visit,” he said.
The
AU Commission had “taken due note” of the letter, which wished the
summit success, Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat said during the closing
press conference.
Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame, who
met Trump last week on the sidelines of the annual World Economic Forum
in Davos, Switzerland, said Trump’s reported comment had no impact on
the AU summit.
“When the United States decided to give
us Trump as their president we deal with that president of the United
States. It is not an issue of whether you appreciate him for this or for
that, it is a job that he is doing for his country,” added Kagame, who
assumed the African Union’s chairmanship this year.
He said both he and Trump had stressed the need for more cooperation.
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