Rabat – Former Head of the African Union, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has voiced his disapproval of the U.S. for taking many African citizens as slaves and not like refugees.
During the AU’s two-day summit, which is currently being held in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, Zuma criticized U.S. President, Donald Trump’s decision to ban immigration from seven African Muslim-majority countries including , Libya, Somalia, and Sudan.
Zuma described Trump’s decision as “one of the greatest challenges,” for the continent, adding that this decision heralded “very turbulent times” for Africa.
“The very country to which many of our people were taken as slaves during the transatlantic slave trade has now decided to ban refugees from some of our countries,” said Zuma.
For his part, U.N. secretary-general, Antonio Guterres commented on the issue of refugees saying, “African nations are among the world’s largest and most generous hosts of refugees. African borders remain open for those who need protection, when so many borders are being closed, even in some of the most developed countries in the world.”
Last week, Trump signed several executive orders including one which regarded the construction of the U.S.-Mexico wall, and another delivering a ban on Muslims from so-called “terror prone” countries.
Muslims from Syria, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen will not be granted U.S. refugee status or visas for the duration of the ban.
