Nigeria summons US ambassador over Trump’s ‘shithole’ comments

President Muhammadu Buhari shaking hands with US ambassador to Nigeria, Stuart Symington

The Nigerian government on Monday summoned the United States ambassador to explain reported remarks by US President Donald Trump that some immigrants from Africa and Haiti come from “shithole” countries, Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama said.

He was responding to a text message from Reuters in which he confirmed that Ambassador Stuart Symington had been summoned.

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He gave no more details.

Trump reportedly made the remarks at a private meeting with lawmakers on immigration on Thursday.

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A US senator who attended the gathering said the president used “vile, vulgar” language, including repeatedly using the word “shithole” when speaking about African countries.

The US president on Friday denied using such derogatory language.

But he has been widely condemned in many African countries and by international rights organisations. African Union countries demanded an apology on Friday.

In the US, Africans in the Diaspora joined Haitians, and El-Salvadorians in rallies to protest against US President Donald Trump’s alleged racist remarks.

The rallies would began on Monday in major cities, including New Jersey, Atlanta, Houston.

The organisers of the event urged all people of African descent and others to attend the rally to “reject the denigration President Trump uttered against us”.

The US president reportedly made the comment during a meeting with congressional leaders in the Oval Office on Thursday.

“Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?” Trump allegedly said after being presented with a proposal to restore protections for immigrants from the countries in question.