US civil rights leader Al Sharpton said Thursday that Mexican President Vicente Fox still needs to publicly apologize for making "discriminatory remarks" against blacks.

Sharpton told Mexican media on Thursday he was not satisfied with the contradictory expressions of regret issued by the Mexican government. He said he had decided to seek an "unequivocal, formal " apology during a meeting with Fox on Monday in Mexico City.

Fox angered US black immigrants last week when he said Mexican immigrants do jobs "that not even blacks want to do there in the United States." The US State Department urged Mexico on Monday to clarify the "very sensitive and inappropriate remarks."

Earlier, Mexican presidential spokesman Ruben Aguilar said Fox's remarks had been "misinterpreted." The government had already issued several statements denying Fox intended any slur on blacks, he said.

But Sharpton said Fox still owned black people a formal apology. "I think we've heard some regrets. I think we need an unequivocal apology. This was an unequivocal insult," he said.

Jesse Jackson, another US civil rights leader, said Wednesday after meeting with Fox that while he was till angry about Fox's comment, he felt the president "has realized the harmful effects of his remarks" and was trying to correct his mistake.

Fox made the comment in defense of Mexican migrants after US President George W. Bush signed a new bill making it tougher for illegal migrants to get US driving licenses.

Source: Xinhua