Stop racist attacks or lose students, Africa tells India

Indian shopkeeper reportedly attacked in Congo

The murder of Congolese postgraduate student Masunda Kitada Oliver in New Delhi on Saturday triggered a huge diplomatic faceoff between India and African nations, as several African ambassadors warned New Delhi they would consider recommending to their governments not to send any more students to India if nothing was done to stop the attacks on African students. There were reports on Wednesday of a retaliatory attack on an Indian shopkeeper in Congo.

In a statement late on Tuesday night, the African envoys said several incidents of harassment of Africans in the country “have not been resolved” and that prosecution and conviction of culprits had not happened. They said the problems of “racism and Afro-phobia” existed in India. The African nations also decided not to participate in the Africa Day celebrations by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations in New Delhi on Thursday, saying the “African community in India, including students, are in a state of mourning”, and that there is an “atmosphere of fear” for Africans in Delhi.

The Indian government requested the African envoys to reconsider their position, after which they said they are doing a rethink and said they would “revert” about this.

Forced into damage-control mode, the external affairs ministry said “all criminal acts should not be seen as racially-motivated”, and added: “Thousands of African students continue to pursue their education in India without any issues.”

The MEA said external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj was “personally monitoring the matter” and that she had spoken to Delhi lieutenant-governor Najeeb Jung, with the Indian government assuring the Africans that justice would be done and “stringent punishment given to those involved in the attack” on the Congolese student. Two suspects have been arrested while one is still on the run.

Later on Wednesday, minister of state for external affairs Gen. V.K. Singh (Retd) met the African envoys and declared that the “strongest legal action would be taken”. He told them he would conduct an “outreach event with African students” and would also meet the envoys every three months. Similar meetings would be held with the African students in all major cities. The MEA also said secretary (economic relations) Amar Sinha would attend the Africa Day celebrations organised by the African missions in New Delhi Wednesday evening. What has intrigued the government, however, is that the African missions went ahead with their own celebration of Africa Day on Wednesday at Dolly Farms in South Delhi, where about 1,000 guests were invited. Sources said India would call off Thursday’s ICCR function if the Africans decided to boycott it.

In a statement late Tuesday night, Eritrean ambassador Alem Tsehage Woldemariam, dean of the African heads of mission group, said they “strongly condemn the brutal killing of this African and called on the Indian government to take concrete steps to guarantee the safety and security of Africans in India... They note, with deep concern, that several attacks and harassment of Africans in India have gone unresolved without diligent prosecution and conviction of perpetrators”. The statement went on to warn that the envoys are “left with little option than to consider recommending to their governments not to send new students to India unless and until their safety can be guaranteed”.

Ms Sushma Swaraj tweeted Wednesday: “We will also launch a sensitisation program to reiterate that such incidents against foreign nationals embarrass the country. Najeeb Jung, Lt Governor Delhi, has assured me that he will take immediate action in this regard. I have already asked the Lt Governor of Delhi to take steps and ensure that this case is tried by a Fast Track Court. I would like to assure African students in India that this an unfortunate and painful incident involving local goons. When I came to know about the unfortunate killing of a Congo national in Delhi, we directed stringent action against the culprits.”