Former United States President, Ronald Reagan has reportedly described delegates from Africa countries to United Nations as Monkeys.
This was made known to the public in a newly-unearthed tapes published by a US magazine.
It was reliably gathered that the former US president called Africans delegates to UN monkeys in a 1971 telephone conversation with then-President Richard Nixon.
Reagan who was the California’s governor as at the time of event was angered because African delegates at the United nations sided against the US in a vote.
It was also reported that members of the Tanzanian delegation started dancing after the UN voted to recognise China and expel Taiwan.
Mr Reagan, a supporter of Taiwan angered by the jubilation of members of Tanzanian delegation called the president the following day to express his displeasure and frustration.
He said;
“To see those… monkeys from those African countries – damn them, they’re still uncomfortable wearing shoes!”
Mr Nixon, whose tenure expired in 1974 could be heard laughing loudly.
Tim Naftali, a clinical associate professor of history at New York University exposed the recording. Tim directed the Nixon Presidential Library from 2007 until 2011.
The National Archives originally released the tape of the phone call in 2000 without the racist portion, but as a researcher, Naftali said, he requested a new review of Nixon’s conversations with Reagan last year.
The National Archives released the complete version of the recording online two weeks ago.
