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Egypt’s “Dogs And Slaves” Slur At UNEP Conference Causes Uproar Across Africa

Egypt’s “Dogs And Slaves” Slur At UNEP Conference Causes Uproar Across Africa

An Egyptian delegation to a recent United Nations Environment Assembly held in Nairobi, Kenya, has been asked to apologize for comments made by the head of the north African nation’s delegation that referred to other African delegates as “dogs and slaves”.

The off the cuff comments by Egypt’s environment minister, Khaled Mohamed Fahmy Abdel Aal, threatens to cause a major rift within Africa unless the President can convince his colleagues otherwise at AU Summit due in Kigali, Rwanda, KT Press reported.

“This issue should be raised to the Permanent Representative Committee in Addis Ababa, New York, Vienna, Geneva and subsequently to the Heads of State summit to be held in Kigali, Rwanda in July 2016,” Yvonne Khamati, chair Africa Diplomatic Corps Technical Committee (AMCEN), said in a statement.

Khamti said the committee had resolved that the Egyptian delegation be barred from negotiating or undertaking any leadership position on behalf of Africa. n addition, the Egyptian Minister should resign as current holder of the rotating presidency of AMCEN.

The angry letter by diplomats representing Sub-Saharan Africa also describes the conduct of the Egyptian delegation as “undiplomatic, irresponsible, uncivilized and insulting behavior”.

Trouble arose after a resolution which Egypt and other Arab nations had pushed for was not included in the 24 resolutions adopted at the end of the week long conference.

The Egyptians reacted by blocking the adoption of the resolutions despite pleas from other members to allow he resolutions to pass and include theirs in the next meeting.