Attacks on Africans 'xenophobic, racial': African envoys

NEW DELHI: India has failed to take ‘sufficient and visible deterring measures’ to protect Africans from attacks, a group of ambassadors from African countries said on Monday, asking for an international inquiry.

Last week’s “xenophobic and racial” attacks were “not sufficiently condemned” by Indian officials, the envoys said in a letter to the government, referring to the incident in Greater Noida involving some Nigerian students who were attacked after a schoolboy’s death was linked to drugs.

The residents of the sprawling suburb alleged that Africans living there had sold him the drugs. Five Nigerian students who were arrested in connection with the case were released after the police found no evidence to link them to the crime. But a crowd that had assembled for a candlelight vigil to demand justice for the teenager turned violent after spotting a group of Nigerians in a car and hit them with sticks.


External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted that she had spoken to Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath and sought a report on the assault. Video footage showed a mob attacking a car, while in another clip dozens of men assaulted Nigerian shoppers in a mall.

The incident made headlines in Nigeria, where India’s ambassador summoned for questioning in Abuja while the government back home labelled the incident “deplorable”.

Hundreds of African students live in Greater Noida, where there are several popular universities, engineering colleges and other educational institutions. Security has been increased, with police assisting African students with their shopping runs and escorting them to class.

The police have identified about 60 people from footage of the attack and plans to charge them with rioting and unlawful assembly. Six people have been arrested so far.

The letter, signed by the dean of African diplomats (currently Eritrean ambassador) in India, was written at the behest of those envoys whose countries send maximum students to India and need not represent a consensus, a diplomat from an African mission said on condition of anonymity.