New Delhi: In the back drop of recent racial attack upon the African students in a mall at greater Noida area of the Delhi NCR region the envoys from African countries stationed here in New Delhi today said that they would take India to the Human Rights Council (HRC) of the United Nation.
In a statement provided to an English vernacular the Office of the Dean of the African Group Head of Missions said all diplomatic options were on the table to serve justice to the victims of the attack that targeted Nigerian nationals in Greater Noida on March 27.
“The Heads of the African Missions accredited to India reviewed the previous incidents that have taken place in the past and concluded that no known, sufficient and visible deterring measures were taken by the Government of India,” reads a quote from a press released published upon the official website of The Hindu.
Furthermore, “They agreed to take further actions, including the call for an independent investigation by the Human Rights Council as well as other human rights bodies, and also to comprehensively report the matter to the African Union Commission”.
The statement can be defined as categorically the most strongest one since they threatened to boycott the Africa Day celebration of May 25 2016 after the murder of a Congolese teacher in Delhi. However, the latest statement is unprecedented as this promises an international inquiry by the HRC into the attacks, says media sources.
As the statement “strongly condemned” the attack in Greater Noida, saying the Indian authorities did not sufficiently condemn the attack.
Full text of the statement:
The Heads of African Mission accredited to India convened a special meeting to look into the recent attacks against African students in Greater Noida. They reviewed the previous incidents that have taken place in the past and concluded that no known, sufficient and visible deterring measures were taken by the Government of India.
As regards the recent unfortunate incident in Greater Noida, the African Heads of Mission strongly condemn the incident and express their deep concern and also take note that these reprehensible events, both outstanding and unresovled cases against Africans, were not sufficiently condemned by the Indian authorities. The meeting unanimously agreed that those accumulated attacks agaisnt Africans are xenophobic and racial in nature.
They equally expressed their expectations for strong condemnation from the highest political level (both nationally and locally) of the Government of India, as well as expediting legal actions against the perpetrators. They agreed to take further actions including the call for an independent investigation by the Human Rights Council as well as other human rights bodies, and also to comprehensively report the matter to the African Union Commission.