Raila wants US President Trump to apologise over shitholes remarks

NASA leader Raila Odinga addressing his supporters

National Super Alliance (NASA) leader Raila Odinga now wants US President Donald Trump to withdraw and apologise over abusive remarks on Africa and other Third World nations.

In a press statement Saturday afternoon, Raila said remarks attributed to US President Donald Trump disparaging African and other Third World nations are troubling and greatly unfortunate

Raila says the remarks are part of a growing habit by a president who has never missed an opportunity to bully and disparage particularly poor nations.

“The remarks are deeply hypocritical as they conveniently ignore the fact that US corporations have set up tents in the same African countries that President Trump is disparaging and are making billions of dollars that they repatriate back to the US,” Raila said in a statement adding that “In fact, recent media reports indicated that President Trump views Africa as a market for US goods and services and is keen to slow down on issues of democracy and human rights in pursuit of trade in Africa. Africa cannot be a market and a nothing at the same time”.

He reminded Trump that many of the poverty and governance related problems that keep Africa down result directly or indirectly from US foreign policies and interference.

The NASA leader has also called upon other African leaders to stand up for the dignity of Africans and demand an apology from President Trump.

On Thursday, during a bipartisan meeting on immigration reforms, specifically the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals programme, the US president reportedly referred to African countries as ‘shithole’ and asked why their citizens should be allowed to migrate to the US.

While it can be argued that Trump’s toxic language and Twitter rants towards his domestic opponents is not criminal because they are on opposing sides, it is wrong to imply that some developing countries, more so those from Africa, are in such worse state that they deserve such a derogatory moniker.

He has so far denied making those remarks, which have been condemned by the United Nations.