Coming just two days after the Ministry of External Affairs and the African diplomats in Delhi celebrated Africa Day 2016, a mob attack on a group of African nationals in South Delhi has not drawn any response either from External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj or the African diplomats. Ms. Swaraj, who earlier tweeted against the attacks on the African nationals, is yet to comment on the latest incident.
Studying the assaultsHowever, a senior diplomat from Sub-Saharan Africa told The Hindu that they were studying the attack in which several African nationals were chased and beaten by a mob in South Delhi. The diplomats are expected to issue a statement regarding the incidents on Sunday.
The South Delhi mob attack is the latest in a series of assaults on African nationals that had provoked diplomats from that continent to issue a call to boycott the Africa Day celebrations by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).
Growing ‘Afro-phobia’The African diplomats had warned against growing “Afro-phobia” in the country and had threatened to stop sending African students to India unless their safety and security were ensured. In response, Ms. Swaraj had issued personal assurances on Twitter.
After a Nigerian national was attacked in Hyderabad on Friday, Ms. Swaraj tweeted: “I have spoken to Shri K. Chandrasekhar Rao Chief Minister Telangana regarding attack on a Nigerian student in Hyderabad.”
