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Congolese national killing: African diplomats lambast Centre

There were reports on Wednesday of a retaliatory attack on an Indian shopkeeper in the Congo.

New Delhi: The murder of Congolese post-graduate student Masunda Kitada Oliver last Saturday in the national capital has triggered a massive diplomatic face-off between India and Africa, after African envoys lambasted and warned New Delhi, saying they would consider recommending to their Governments not to send any more students to India if nothing was done to stop attacks against African students. There were reports on Wednesday of a retaliatory attack on an Indian shopkeeper in the 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 the 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 African Day celebrations of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) to be held on Thursday.

They said Africans were in mourning and that there was an atmosphere of fear for Africans in Delhi but the Indian Government on Wednesday requested the African envoys to reconsider their position following which the Africans are doing a rethink and would “revert” on this issue, Government sources indicated.

Forced into damage-control mode earlier in the day on Wednesday and in a veiled criticism of the perceived hardline position taken by the envoys, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said “all criminal acts should not be seen as racially-motivated”, adding that “thousands of African students continue to pursue their education in India without any issues”.

( Source : Deccan Chronicle. )
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