Following reports that Africans and African American tourists are facing discrimination from locals in China, Uganda’s Robert Kyagulanyi has offered to airlift Africans out of China as soon as possible.
The Ugandan musician and opposition politician, popularly known as Bobi Wine, announced that he’s teaming up with AtlantaBlackStar.com founder Neil Nelson to fly the mistreated Africans back home.
In a joint statement announced on April 13, Wine and Nelson said they are joining forces in the humanitarian mission to rescue people of color under attack in China.
“We are appalled by the widely reported instances of xenophobia in parts of China, where Africans and African Americans are being ejected from residences and forced to sleep on streets, denied medical care and mistreated.
“We have watched disturbing videos of pregnant mothers being turned away from hospitals simply because they are Black. We are calling upon the government of China to urgently intervene and ensure that targeted attacks on black people are brought to an end,” the statement reads in part.
Appearing on NTV Uganda, Bobi Wine said he was working with other African leaders to ensure that all those suffering are rescued.
“We call upon leaders from across the global African community including political leaders, social activists, artists and other leaders to join us in this effort,” he said.
Wine and the American businessman also offered to evacuate people to the United States if they have citizenship or permanent resident status.
“We are offering to airlift them to safety in any willing country. Let’s continue to raise awareness and to appeal to home countries to accept and receive these individuals who are being treated with extreme indignity,” Bobi Wine tweeted.
The move comes after harrowing reports of African foreign nationals in the Southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, being evicted from their homes, denied services at local businesses, and blamed for igniting a second wave of coronavirus in the country.
Videos posted online showed scores of young African immigrants sleeping on pavements and backstreets, while photos showed signs barring foreigners from shopping in retail outlets.
A Kenyan student in Guangdong, said attacks on African immigrants have persisted under the collective nose of Chinese authorities for two weeks now.
“We are unwanted. They narrowed down to Africans and started discriminating against us. We cannot enter malls, restaurants or markets. They say we are carriers of the virus and the reason for many asymptomatic cases. During the pandemic, Africans came out to help and our thinking was they would return the favor,” said the 27-year-old student as reported by a local daily.
In a press statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it had received assurances from the Chinese Embassy in Nairobi that the government of China takes a serious view of the situation, adding that the local authorities in Guangzhou have been tasked to take immediate action to safeguard the legitimate rights of Africans.