Pedestrians shop in a roadside market in Lagos, Nigeria, Jan. 12. African countries Friday reacted in shock to reports that President Trump Thursday reportedly questioned why the United States would accept more immigrants from Haiti and '[expletive deleted] countries' in Africa rather than places like Norway in rejecting a bipartisan immigration deal. On Friday he denied using that language. 'The African Union Commission is frankly alarmed at statements by the president of the United States when referring to migrants of African countries and others in such contemptuous terms,' said Ebba Kalondo, spokeswoman for the African Union. 'Considering the historical reality of how many Africans arrived in the US during the Atlantic slave trade, this flies in the face of all accepted behavior and practice.'