Akhir 26, 1432, March 31, 2011, SPA-- A Serbian politician has apologized for his reference to African people as "cannibals," officials said Thursday, according to UPI. Cedomir Jovanovic, a LPD party leader and head of its parliamentary group, said his comment was misinterpreted, Beta news agency reported. His apology came after three ambassadors of African countries complained to Serbian Parliament Speaker Slavica Dukic-Dejanovic. Dukic-Dejanovic condemned Jovanovic's statement and said it is not representative of how Serbia thinks. The ambassadors of Algeria, Abdelkhader Mesdoua, Palestine, Mohammed Khalil Nabhan, and Guinea, Mohamed Issiaga Kourouma complained about the slur. "We are convinced that the disputed statement does not represent the stand of either the Republic of Serbia, or the Serbian parliament, or a personal stand of the parliament speaker, and we are convinced that it will not happen again," said Mesdoua. Jovanovic said in a B92 report that when he accused fellow politician Vuk Jeremic of "traveling to cannibals in Africa," he was criticizing the minister's work, and that he meant no slight to Africans. "I'll memorize the word 'cannibalism' well, and then I think I'll forget it," Jovanovic said after making his apology.
