President Barack Obama has praised a "historic" resolution passed by the Senate apologising for the "fundamental injustice, cruelty, brutality, and inhumanity of slavery".

The comments by Mr Obama, the first African American president, were contained in a statement on the oldest commemorated anniversary marking the end of slavery following the US Civil War.

"African Americans helped to build our nation brick by brick and have contributed to her growth in every way, even when rights and liberties were denied to them," Mr Obama said in a statement.

"In light of the historic unanimous vote in the United States Senate this week supporting the call for an apology for slavery and segregation, the occasion carries even more significance."