The chair of the Africa Group at the U.N. says U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley told ambassadors that Africa is "very important for the United States" — but she didn't apologize for President Donald Trump's vulgar comment about the continent as they had demanded.

Equatorial Guinea's U.N. Ambassador Anatolio Ndong Mba told two reporters after Thursday's closed meeting that "we do hope that that (apology) will come."

Trump referred to African nations as "shithole countries" last week in dismissing a bipartisan immigration proposal, according to several participants at the meeting. The president has denied using that language.

The African Group condemned Trump's "outrageous, racist and xenophobic remarks" and demanded a retraction and apology.

Ndong Mba said Haley told ambassadors she wasn't at the meeting where Trump spoke and stressed U.S.-Africa cooperation.