US President Joe Biden insulted Papua New Guinea when he branded the country cannibalism in a speech by suggesting that his uncle, who disappeared there during the Second World War, may have been eaten by cannibals, James Marape, the prime minister of the Pacific island nation, said.
According to a statement issued by the prime minister's office on Monday morning, Biden's incriminating remark could have been a slip of the tongue when the president, during his visit to the Pennsylvania memorial to American soldiers who disappeared in World War II, " implied that his uncle was eaten by cannibals after his plane was shot down over Papua New Guinea in May 1944." .
Marape emphasized that his country " does not deserve to be stigmatized in this way".
The Papua New Guinean prime minister also asked Biden to take action to clean up World War II remains found in the Pacific archipelago so that "the true circumstances of the disappearance of his uncle, Ambrose Finnegan, and other American soldiers can be clarified."
Papua New Guinea is a strategic ally of the United States to counter China's influence in the region.
Last year, Washington signed a defense cooperation agreement with the island nation, while Beijing concluded a security pact with the nearby Solomon Islands. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Ji held talks with the Prime Minister in Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea, on Sunday in order to build closer economic relations.
MTI
Photo: MTI/EPA/UPI pool/Sarah Silbiger
