An African advocacy group that wanted Britain to leave the EU has quit the Brexit campaign in protest at Boris Johnson's "very alarming" comments about Barack Obama's Kenyan ancestry, which it said risked scapegoating immigrants.



The Africans for Britain organisation had been held up by the Vote Leave campaign as evidence of the latter's broad backing from all parts of society in its application to be the official anti-EU campaign.

But Africans for Britain has now resigned from the official Brexit campaign, saying it could not tolerate the mayor of London's comments in The Sun that the US president has an "ancestral dislike of the British empire" because he is "part-Kenyan".

Johnson made the comments in response to Obama's calls for the UK to vote to remain in the EU in the referendum on 23 June.

Africans for Britain said it was now suspending all campaign activity amid concerns that the anti-EU campaign is being taken over by a "radical wing" who will encourage prejudice against immigrants in the UK.

The organisation confirmed to BuzzFeed News that the decision was a direct result of the mayor of London's words: "We took our responsibilities after his comments."

It added: "We are ... moving forward with non-partisanship in this campaign in which we urge both camps to conduct a dignified campaign."