Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey
African ambassadors in China have expressed their displeasure over the alleged maltreatment of African citizens in China.
They have therefore cautioned Chinese authorities to desist from the maltreatment.
This was made known by a statement issued by the Sierra Leonean Embassy in Beijing, China.
Consequently, the Guangzhou City Foreign Affairs Office (GCFAO) has assured the Sierra Leonean Community in Guangzhou of safety in the wake of alleged attacks on Africans in China.
This was made known in a statement issued by the Embassy of Sierra Leone in Beijing.
“…Since yesterday, 9th April 2020, the Ambassador and staff have been in constant touch with the Guangzhou City Foreign Affairs Office (GCFAO) and GCFAO has assured us of our compariots’ safety and well-being.”
According to media reports, Chinese officials have started evicting hundreds of African residents and businessmen from hotels and apartments as they are being accused of having the coronavirus.
The Africans say they are just being targeted under the guise of a testing campaign for the COVID-19.
Some of them alleged that they have been placed under forced quarantine without being told about the results of their tests.
The Africans, who are based in China’s southern city of Guangzhou, have described the development as discriminatory.
“They are accusing us of having the virus,” a Nigerian student, Tobenna Victor, was quoted by the BBC.
Guangzhou houses one of the largest African communities in China.
African traders, buy most of their goods from the area to the continent.
Local Chinese health officials have raised concerns about a possible second outbreak of the COVID-19 over the increase in the number of imported cases.
The Sierra Leonean Embassy in its release dated April 10, 2020, revealed that representatives of African ambassadors have met with the Director General, Africa Affairs Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing and stated in very strong terms, their concerns and condemnation of the disturbing and humiliating experiences Africans have been subjected to.
“They reminded the Director General that African countries have been supportive of the People’s Republic of China in its fight against the pandemic especially in the early stages when the country was the epicenter of the outbreak,” the statement addressed to the Sierra Leonean Community in China says.
At home in Ghana, the Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Ministry has summoned the Chinese Ambassador to Ghana Shi Ting Wang for an urgent parley.
The meeting which took place on Friday, April 10, according to a source, is in connection with maltreatment of Africans particularly Ghanaians by Chinese officials in China.
By Melvin Tarlue