There is no evidence for former President Donald Trump’s repeated claims that “the Congo” has emptied prisons to allow violent criminals to come to the US border as migrants – and the governments of both the Democratic Republic of Congo and the neighboring Republic of Congo say Trump’s assertions are entirely false.

“Everything he is saying isn’t true,” Democratic Republic of Congo spokesperson Patrick Muyaya Katembwe told CNN in a text message on Thursday. Asked specifically about Trump’s claims about Congolese prisons being emptied of violent criminals, he said, “Never ever, it’s not true.” And, he said, “we want him to stop” telling these stories, since “it’s very bad for the country.”

Serge Mombouli, the Republic of Congo’s ambassador to the US, said in an email to CNN on Friday: “There is no truth or any sign nor a single fact supporting such a claim or statement.”

  • Limeey@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    I don’t get why a Central African country would try to send their prisoners halfway around the world - that would be insanely expensive and a logistical nightmare.

    I feel like Trump must think the Congo is in South America instead of Africa…

    • Worx@lemmynsfw.com
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      9 months ago

      I was concerned reading this because I was thinking, “I’m sure Congo is in Africa, am I really that ignorant that I don’t know the continent it’s on?”

      But, of course, it was Trump being stupid. Shouldn’t have doubted myself over that idiot

    • Pwnmode@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      He definitely thinks.its in Central/South America. To be fair if he was corrected he would not admit it, so we won’t ever know.

    • SomeoneElse@lemmy.ca
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      9 months ago

      I’m from the UK and our disgusting government is shipping immigrants that arrive on small boats to Rwanda for some fucking reason. None of these people seeking a better place to live are actually from Rwanda. Never mind that our own Supreme Court ruled Rwanda is not a safe country. That’s where we’re ship people off to. It’s absolutely insane.

      • Limeey@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        Whether or not this is true - at least the UK is an island. This isn’t as far fetched as a land locked poor country somehow shipping people 18hrs by plane….

        • beetus@lemmy.world
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          9 months ago

          Uhh it’s not like the UK is actually any better in this situation if it’s true that they are sending random migrants to Rwanda