African governments have teamed up to fight the alleged acts of racial discrimination against their nationals residing in China.
Last week, there were widespread videos and various reports of some ‘ill-treatment’ being meted out to Africans in the Chinese city, Guangzhou, including eviction from places of residence, being avoided in public, among others.
Though China has denied these reports, African Ambassadors in China have written to the Chinese government’s top diplomat, State Councilor, Wang Yi and copied same to the chair of the African Union, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and all African Foreign Ministers.
According to the written note, as reported by France24, the Ambassadors are demanding the cessation of the ‘inhumane treatments’ against their nationals.
“The Group of African Ambassadors in Beijing immediately demands the cessation of forceful testing, quarantine and other inhuman treatments meted out to Africans,” it said.
The Ambassadors’ note further highlighted a number of reported incidents, including that Africans were being ejected from hotels in the middle of the night, the seizure of passports, and threats of visa revocation, arrest or deportation.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway on Saturday, April 12, summoned the Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, H.E Shi Ting Wang to register her disappointment over what she termed as ‘act of ill-treatment and racial discrimination.’
Other African countries including South Africa, Sierra Leone, Kenya and Nigeria among others have taken similar actions to have their concerns addressed.
According to a statement by the Sierra Leonean Embassy in Beijing, African diplomats in Beijing have met with Chinese Foreign Ministry officials and “stated in very strong terms their concern and condemnation of the disturbing and humiliating experiences our citizens have been subjected to.”
Kenya’s Foreign Ministry has also “officially expressed concern”, adding the government is working with Chinese authorities to address the matter.
On Friday, Nigerian legislator Akinola Alabi tweeted a video of a meeting between the leader of Nigeria’s lower House of Parliament, Femi Gbajabiamila, and Chinese Ambassador Zhou Pingjian to demand immediate action on the xenophobic reports.
Source: abcnewsgh.com
