Thursday, April 16, 2020

China sends aid to African nations amid racism charge

China has denied racial discrimination following reports of African residents being evicted from their homes. Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo

April 16 (UPI) -- China is sending dozens of medical experts to Burkina Faso and Ethiopia amid accusations of racial discrimination against African residents in the southern city of Guangzhou.

Beijing's foreign ministry said Wednesday medical teams would be dispatched to areas affected by COVID-19. Burkina Faso has confirmed 542 cases and 32 deaths, and Ethiopia has reported 85 cases and three deaths, the South China Morning Post reported. Cases in Africa have surpassed 17,000.

Video footage that went viral this week showed groups of black men pulling suitcases and being pushed out into the street by Chinese police officers.

"I don't know where I will sleep tonight," one man says.


Reports have since surfaced of African residents in Guangzhou being evicted from their homes and banned from hotels, prompting governments in Africa to issue a joint condemnation of related incidents.

Earlier in the week, Ugandan politician and musician Bobi Wine said he would be working with Neil Nelson, the U.S. founder of news service Atlanta Black Star, to evacuate Africans and African Americans out of China.

"The two leaders are currently working together to facilitate a humanitarian mission to airlift those Africans and African-Americans who are affected by these attacks to a country in Africa that is willing to receive them," their joint statement read.

Wine also said he and Nelson appealed to Beijing to protect Africans overseas. On Twitter, the Ugandan politician described what he saw on footage as "inhumane treatment."

The U.S. State Department has advised U.S. citizens of African descent to avoid non-essential travel to China.

Reports of discrimination came after Chinese state media claimed five Nigerian men violated quarantine guidelines and visited a local restaurant, infecting the owner and his child. The five men had reportedly tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Guangzhou

China has denied local authorities discriminated against African residents.

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