African representatives at the UN have sent an invitation on Thursday 18 January to Donald Trump, the US president, for the African Union summit to be held in Addis Ababa on January 28 and 29.
Far from being an invitation to complacency, African diplomats hope to get a face-to-face meeting between Donald Trump and African heads of state.
Jerry Matjila, South African ambassador and spokesman for the representatives of African diplomats at the UN made the proposal on behalf of the group, saying it “might be useful” for Trump to speak directly to African leaders. It was during a meeting with the US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley.
It is indeed a new development in the so-called “shitty country” case in which the American president is accused of having insulted the African countries and Haiti. After the outbreak of the scandal, the African elite demanded an apology from the US president and denounced “scandalous, racist and xenophobic remarks”.
Admittedly, Nikki Haley said she took note of the request, but did not apologize for the alleged comments of President Donald Trump on the continent, as requested by the president of the African group. She noted, however, that Trump has always had “esteem” for Africa, and regretted the magnitude of the case.
As a reminder, last week, Donald Trump treated African countries and Haiti “shitty country” at a meeting on immigration to the White House. The American number one declined these accusations, but that failed to extinguish the controversy. The African Union and several African countries have also been offended.
