The African Union (AU) says the ‘shithole’ remarks allegedly made against African countries by U.S. President Donald Trump, has been resolved.
Chairperson of the AU Commission, Mr Moussa Mahamat, said at a news conference with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, at the Commission’s headquarters in Addis Ababa.
He said that the “incident is of the past” and that the Africa-U.S. relation was cordial.
NAN reports that Mahamat also disclosed that following the remark, which was viewed as offensive and insensitive to Africa, Trump wrote a letter to him and that he copied all the leaders of Africa.
Mahamat said: “Yes, I confirm that I received a letter dated 25 January written by President Trump to me, and which I have also copied to all the leaders of Africa.
“And I believe that this incident is of the past.
“And the evidence of the relations between Africa and the United States is personified through his (Tillerson’s) visit; I believe reasonably this partnership has produced results.
“It is useful for both parties, whether in the area of trade or investment, or whether it is peace and stability in Africa”.
Mahamat, on Tillerson’s remarks about China’s roles in Africa, said the African continent had many partnerships.
According to him, Africans are mature enough to engage in partnerships of their own volition which will be useful for the countries and the continent.
“So there is no monopoly. We have multifaceted, multifarious relations with other parts of the world. We know where our interests’ lies and it is our full awareness I think that is most important,” Mahamat said.
Tillerson, in his response, said the U.S. commitment to Africa was quite clear in terms of the importance the country placed on the relationship.
“The President himself wrote a personal letter to the chairperson, reaffirming the importance of this relationship from the standpoint of all aspects that I covered in answering a previous question,” he said.
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