Anger as Egyptian calls Africans dogs

Africa Diplomatic Corps Technical Committee Chairman Yvonne Khamati. The Africa Diplomatic Corps Technical Committee wants Egypt to apologise to other African States for calling them "dogs and slaves". (PHOTO: COURTESY)

The Africa Diplomatic Corps Technical Committee wants Egypt to apologise to other African States for calling them "dogs and slaves".

The committee also wants Egypt prevented from representing Africa in any official capacity following the remarks by its Environment minister and President of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) during the just-concluded United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-2) meeting in Nairobi.

Committee chairperson Yvonne Khamati said the verbal attacks impede gains made in promoting the continent's unity.

"We feel that these uncivilised, racist, discriminatory and vindictive utterances do not advance the vision of the 2063 African Agenda and the Pan-Africanism that was advocated by the founding fathers of the African Union," Ms Khamati said in a statement.

She added that the committee resolved that the Egyptian delegation be barred from negotiating or undertaking any leadership position on behalf of Africa. They also want the official to resign as President of AMCEN "with immediate effect".

"This issue should be raised with the Permanent Representative Committee in Addis Ababa, New York, Vienna, Geneva and subsequently at the Heads of State summit to be held in Kigali, Rwanda in July 2016," she said.

Khamati added that the utterances undermined UNEP, hosted in Africa, and show lack of loyalty to the continent.

The Egyptian head of delegation made the utterances following divisions among member states on adopting the Gaza resolutions caused by lack of quorum because most delegates had left.

The President of AMCEN dismissed other delegates' concerns when approached.

"During our consultations with Egypt, the head of the Egyptian delegation and current President of AMCEN dismissed our concerns by informing that they would speak in their sovereign capacity and to that extent, referred to sub-Saharan Africa as dogs and slaves, in Arabic," Khamati explained.

She said the committee had communicated the recommendation that "the Arab Republic of Egypt, at the highest level, unreservedly apologise to Africa".

She said a number of those on the delegation that approached Egypt on Friday had served in Arab-speaking countries and understood the reference. At UNEA-2, which ended on Friday, 120 governments agreed on 25 resolutions to remedy air pollution.