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ME & North Africa getting it’s first-ever standalone Disney Store

John Hadden, Alshaya Group CEO, said: “We are incredibly proud to be bringing the region’s first standalone Disney Store to Kuwait, our home market…reports Asian Lite News

It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for! The Walt Disney Company Middle East and Alshaya Group have announced the opening of the Middle East’s very first standalone Disney Store. Spanning over 800sqm, the store is set to open its doors this November at The Avenues in Kuwait, bringing a magical experience to the Middle East, beyond your imagination.

John Hadden, Alshaya Group CEO, said: “We are incredibly proud to be bringing the region’s first standalone Disney Store to Kuwait, our home market.  It’s an honour to be a part of the Disney story in the region, and we know that our customers and their families will be as excited as we are ahead of the magical opening in November.”

Sonal Patel, Director – TPC MENA & Shop-in-Shop, SAMENA, commented: “We’re beyond excited to announce our very first standalone Disney Store in the Middle East. Many of our guests have a special connection with The Disney Store – whether they visited one on holiday, or had one in their hometown. The stores bring back special memories for many, and we’re so pleased to be working with The Alshaya Group to share that connection with fans in Kuwait and across the Middle East. We cannot wait to open our doors to the first-ever Disney Store in the region!”

The store has something for Disney fans of all ages, with lines exclusive to the Middle East, as well as a wide-range of products from your favorite Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars characters and movies. This includes costumes and accessories, toys and plushes, home décor and collectables, as well as apparel for both children and adults  which you can try on in one of the beautifully character-themed fitting rooms!

And the fun doesn’t stop there. The store will also feature a brand new design for the very first time. Don’t miss 3D sculptures of your favorite characters, like Simba from The Lion King and Elsa from Frozen, as well as beautifully created wall murals, designed especially for this store. Every detail will transport you to the wonderful world of Disney don’t forget to look out for the hidden Mickeys!

Stay tuned for an array of fun surprises, special guests, and Disney magic to mark the occasion. Until then, Disney friends across the region can visit over 30 Disney Store shop-in-shops across Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE. Located inside Alshaya-owned Debenhams and Mothercare stores, there’s a little magic for everyone across the Middle East.

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Africa News

Africa being marginalized on world stage, say finance chiefs  

Photo taken on April 19, 2022 shows the IMF headquarters in Washington, D.C., the United States. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua/IANS)

While the war in Ukraine and other geopolitical issues were at the fore in Washington, African leaders presented their cases strongly and appealed for the continent not to be forgotten…reports Asian Lite News

Africa’s influence on issues of global importance remains far too narrow for a continent of 1.2 billion people who are bearing the brunt of external shocks, finance ministers said.

“We are at the table and increasingly so, but we occupy a small stool at the table,” Zimbabwean Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube told reporters Saturday after the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.

“Most of the time we are recipients of support — of aid, of resources — as opposed to the giver of resources to the rest of the world and that creates a naturally uneven relationship, but we should strengthen ourselves and we should be listened to.”

Assistance would be “more impactful” if contributors, including international financial institutions, listened to those they are helping who better understand the conditions on the ground, Ncube said.

Africa’s weight at the table is “very narrow” and it remains “marginalized” even as the continent’s population and youth demographic is second only to Asia, said Situmbeko Musokotwane, Zambia’s finance minister.  

Their comments add to the growing list of criticism by African leaders of rich nations in Washington this week as emerging markets deal with the fallout of developed nations’ policy decisions, including aggressive interest-rate hikes by the Federal Reserve that raise loan-servicing costs and have effectively locked some nations out of capital markets.

The Fed’s actions — which strengthened the greenback — also raised the cost of dollar-priced energy and food imports particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where floods and droughts are adding to price pressures induced by Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Top Kenyan central banker Patrick Njoroge warned that the spillover effects for emerging markets will have costly consequences while South African Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana said this week that the continent’s leaders have little faith in the developed world and that Group of 20 nation’s debt-restructuring mechanism needs to be reformed.

While the war in Ukraine and other geopolitical issues were at the fore in Washington, African leaders presented their cases strongly and appealed for the continent not to be forgotten, said Dier Tong Ngor, South Sudan’s minister of finance and economic planning.

“We can’t expect that the development burden of Africa will be on the shoulders of institutions like the World Bank and IMF and so forth — their resource levels are just too small compared to the needs,” Ngor said. “There’s a disjoint between what we get out of these institutions and what will be required for private sector money to draw in and complement the effect of the public money from these institutions. That is one of the issues that, hopefully, institutions like the World Bank need to listen to very carefully and adjust the way they do the business.”

ALSO READ-WWF calls for robust measures to reverse habitat loss in Africa

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Africa News

WWF calls for robust measures to reverse habitat loss in Africa

The 2022 edition of Living Planet Report revealed that Africa’s wildlife population fell by 66 per cent between 1970 and 2018, thanks to poaching, climatic shocks and degradation of their natural habitats…reports Asian Lite News

The alarming loss of species in Africa, fueled by climate change, unplanned development and pollution, requires bold policy and legislative measures to reverse, senior World Wildlife Fund (WWF) officials said.

Speaking during the virtual launch of WWF’s flagship Living Planet Report 2022 in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital on Thursday, Alice Ruhweza, Africa Regional Director, WWF-International said that African countries required greater financing and policy shift to hasten nature-positive growth.

Ruhweza added that mining activities, poaching, industrial farming and urbanisation had worsened loss of Africa’s flagship species, to the detriment of green growth, denoting that enhanced conservation of biodiversity hotspots will boost the continent’s fight against poverty, hunger and climate-induced water stress.

She called upon African governments to lobby for adoption of a more inclusive and ambitious framework to protect planetary resources during the global biodiversity summit slated for Montreal, Canada, from December 7 to 19, Xinhua news agency reported.

Published biannually by the WWF and the Zoological Society of London, the Living Planet Report aims to shed light on status of vital ecosystems, their contribution to human welfare and emerging threats.

The 2022 edition of Living Planet Report revealed that Africa’s wildlife population fell by 66 per cent between 1970 and 2018, thanks to poaching, climatic shocks and degradation of their natural habitats.

However, the report pointed to positive trends in central Africa where the population of mountain gorillas increased from 408 in 2010 to 604 in 2015 thanks to enhanced conservation measures.

Jackson Kiplagat, the Head of Conservation Programs at WWF-Kenya said that reversing habitat loss in Africa was possible subject to innovative financing towards conservation, law enforcement and greater community engagement.

Kiplagat added that African governments should implement ambitious blueprints to boost conservation of species, secure a green and resilient future for local communities.

ALSO READ-Companies must check their wood is legal: WWF

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-Top News Africa News

Exploitative attitude of Chinese firms irks Africans

The market for Chinese security services has increased significantly since the launch of China’s Belt and Road Initiative in Africa….reports Asian Lite News

The exploitative attitude of Chinese companies and their engulfing security apparatus in Africa gradually turns the locals against them.

Most African citizens do not view them as independent entities but as part of the Chinese government, reported Geo-politik.

A peculiar feature of Chinese companies working in African countries is their insistence on using security apparatus and human resources from China. This constitutes the placement of personnel and security equipment on various construction or other project sites from Chinese agencies only.

According to some estimates, the rapid growth of Chinese operations has led to the deployment of about a million Chinese nationals with more than ten thousand Chinese companies in Africa. Only Chinese security companies are entrusted with the safety of these assets and nationals while securing the sea routes.

The practice seems to have its ideological roots in the colonial era when companies used to support private armies to deploy in their colonies, reported Geo-politik.

The market for Chinese security services has increased significantly since the launch of China’s Belt and Road Initiative in Africa.

Prior to the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative in Africa, several Chinese companies operating in Africa were believed to be using armed militia, reported Geo-politik.

While most Chinese companies provide traditional security services, many of them have acquired sophisticated capabilities of collecting intelligence and conducting surveillance against potential threats. Some of them are also even seen working closely with local institutions including the armed forces.

However, their rising clout and growing intervention in local problems are leading to many law and order problems in host countries, reported Geo-politik. In 2018, two Chinese security contractors were arrested in Zambia for allegedly providing illegal training and supplying uniforms & military equipment to a local security company.

In particular, three countries viz., Congo, Sudan and South Sudan are believed to be facing law and order issues due to the activities of Chinese agencies.

The problem may also spread to other countries as many Chinese firms are trying to establish security partnerships in Mali, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa and Tanzania, reported Geo-politik.

Though the Chinese security agencies have gained considerable influence in African countries and gained some inroads into their institutions, their acceptance among the local population is still a long draw.

Their continued exploitation of local people and disregard for the environment and culture of these countries are serious roadblocks in the voyage of Chinese corporations, reported Geo-politik. (ANI)

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Africa News India News

Need to prevent terrorists from accessing Africa’s resources: India

The Minister said that preventing these inimical outfits from accessing financial resources, therefore, is “crucial to effectively counter their violent attacks.”…reports Asian Lite News

Highlighting that a violence-free Africa is necessary to prevent external forces including terrorists exploiting resource-rich region, MoS V. Muraleedharan said that those “guilty of aiding and supporting terrorism” in different parts of Africa and simultaneously exploiting the resources must be held accountable by the international community.

Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan made these remarks during a UNSC debate titled “Peace and Security in Africa: Strengthening the fight against the financing of armed groups and terrorists through the illicit trafficking of natural resources.”

In recent years, MoS said, terrorist and armed groups have been making deep inroads by exploiting security gaps and fragile governance institutions in the continent, particularly in the Horn of Africa, Sahel and East and Central Africa.

He highlighted that the terrorist groups are accentuating their funding by exploiting the resource-rich region. “These regions have remained vulnerable to money laundering and terrorist financing. Terrorist and armed groups are increasingly funding their activities through illegal exploitation of natural resources and trafficking of wildlife, and extortion, etc., amongst other well-known activities.”

Pointing out the new ways used by the terrorist groups, MoS added that these outfits are financing their activities by exploiting the rapid development of information and communication technology as well as other technologies related to financial transactions, encryption, and varied modes of transportation and delivery.

The Minister said that preventing these inimical outfits from accessing financial resources, therefore, is “crucial to effectively counter their violent attacks.”

MoS pointed out that while some states lack the legal-operational frameworks and necessary counter-financing of terrorism capacities, there are other states that are “clearly guilty of aiding and supporting terrorism”, and “wilfully” providing financial assistance and safe havens to terrorists.

Calling out to enhance capacities of counter-financing of terrorism, MoS said that the international community must collectively call out those guilty of aiding terrorism and “hold them accountable to such double speak.”

“The global fight against terrorism cannot succeed without conscious and coordinated efforts to counter financing of terrorism; and nor can the global fight against armed groups.

Flagging key aspects for Council’s consideration, MoS said, first up, there is a need to recognize the fact that terrorism, like armed conflicts, is expanding in Africa.

“Al-Qaida and ISIL affiliated terrorist groups in different parts of Africa have gathered significant strength in the recent years, thriving on the illegal mining of artisan gold, rare minerals, gemstones, uranium, coal, timber etc. through illegal trade networks facilitated by transnational criminal networks.”

“Terrorist groups such as Al-Shabaab have put in place elaborate revenue collection networks, to support their terrorist activities. If left unaddressed, terrorism may seriously jeopardize peace prospects in several parts of Africa, which is already ravaged by armed conflicts,” he added.

Second, he said, ISIL and Al-Qaeda linked and inspired groups in Africa are embedding themselves in multiple domestic conflicts, attempting to influence and control the political agenda.

“Engaging them in national reconciliation will only provide legitimacy to terrorism as well give them access to necessary financial means and resources. This will be a self-defeating goal. What we need is a zero-tolerance policy towards all forms of terrorism, irrespective of its motivations,” Muraleedharan said.

Thirdly, MoS said that regional and sub-regional measures need to be strengthened further in line with the standards prescribed by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

“The African Union (AU), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the States of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) have been playing an important role in combating financing of terrorism. “The initiatives such as the Intergovernmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa; regulations against money-laundering and terrorist financing of CEMAC have helped in creating institutional frameworks in the African states.”

MoS said the fourth key aspect is that it is important that Member States, including African States, bring their anti-money laundering and terror financing monitoring frameworks at par with international standards, including those promoted by FATF.

“We also believe more cooperation between the FATF and the various UN entities, including the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) will benefit Member States.”

He upheld FATF saying that the watchdog has been promoting effective implementation of legal, regulatory and operational measures for combating money laundering, terrorist financing and other related threats to the integrity of the international financial system.

MoS said that the international community needs to enhance assistance to African countries to strengthen their capacities to fight the illegal exploitation of natural resources and trade.

“Furthermore, a violence-free Africa would need to be freed from the shackles of external forces driving the exploitation of natural resources in Africa.”

In this regard, the Minister said India has been calling for a development paradigm that is Africa-led and Africa-owned and centred on the progress and development of the people of Africa.

“India has been contributing proactively to further international co-operation to combat financing of terrorism at regional and international level. In 2018, India contributed USD 550,000 to the UNOCT’s programmes targeting capacity building of countries in East and Southern Africa. In 2021 too, we have contributed one million dollars to further strengthen these efforts.”

He said that there is also a need to support national and regional security initiatives as well as capacity-building efforts towards effective border surveillance and security.

“African security initiatives such as Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), South African Development Community Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM), and African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), have proven their success in countering terrorism.”

“These are Africa’s home-grown solutions, led by African countries who have a better understanding of their issues. The international community should provide sustainable and adequate financial and logistical support to such regional security initiatives.”

Lastly, he said concluding that the continuing lack of representation of Africa in the permanent category of the UN Security Council’s membership is an historical injustice that needs to be corrected sooner than later.

“Given that more than half of the Security Council’s work is focused on Africa, India has been consistently calling for greater representation of Africa, through an increase in both permanent and non- permanent categories of this Council’s membership, in line with the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration.”

He apprised the UNSC members that India has been at the forefront of the global fight against terrorism. As a country, he noted that India itself has been a “victim of state-sponsored cross-border terrorism” for nearly past three decades and thus is acutely aware of the socio-economic and human cost of terrorism.

“In 1996, long before the adoption of Resolution 1373, India took the initiative to pilot the draft Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism with the objective of providing a comprehensive legal framework to combating terrorism. We have signed and ratified all the major conventions and protocols on terrorism adopted by the UN, and are part of all major global initiatives including FATF.”

As the Chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee this year, India would be hosting its special meeting in Mumbai and New Delhi later this month on 28-29 October.

MoS reiterated the invitation to member states to participate in this upcoming meeting and hoped that it will contribute positively towards creating a global architecture, which is fit for purpose and effectively responds to the new tech tools deployed by terrorists and its backers, against open, diverse and pluralistic societies.

Muraleedharan congratulated Gabon with best wishes and greetings on its Presidency of the Security Council for this month. Gabon, central African country, officially took over as President of the UN Security Council for the month of October.

MoS stressed that the topic chosen for the debate is extremely important not just for Africa, but for all, in the context of global fight against terrorism. (ANI)

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-Top News Africa News

WHO probing 4 India-made cough syrups in Gambia after 66 kids die

WHO flags four 'substandard' India-made paediatric medicines in west Africa.

WHO requests increased surveillance and diligence within the supply chains of countries and regions likely to be affected by these products. …reports Asian Lite News

The World Health Organization on Wednesday issued an alert for four “contaminated” India-made medicines, chiefly for paediatric use, identified in the west African nation of The Gambia and found to contain chemicals that are toxic and potentially fatal after 66 child deaths.

“WHO has today issued a medical product alert for four contaminated medicines identified in #Gambia that have been potentially linked with acute kidney injuries and 66 deaths among children. The loss of these young lives is beyond heartbreaking for their families,” the WHO said in a series of tweets, citing its Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

“The four medicines are cough and cold syrups produced by Maiden Pharmaceuticals Limited, in India. WHO is conducting further investigation with the company and regulatory authorities in India,” it said.

The WHO Medical Product Alert said that the four substandard products, reported to it in September, are Promethazine Oral Solution, Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup, Makoff Baby Cough Syrup and Magrip N Cold Syrup, all stated to be manufactured by Maiden Pharmaceuticals Ltd located in Haryana.

Noting that the stated manufacturer has not provided guarantees to WHO on the safety and quality of these products, the alert said that laboratory analysis of samples of each of the four products confirms that they contain unacceptable amounts of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol, both “toxic to humans when consumed and can prove fatal”.

“The substandard products referenced in this alert are unsafe and their use, especially in children, may result in serious injury or death,” it said, adding that the toxic effects can include abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, inability to pass urine, headache, altered mental state, and acute kidney injury which may lead to death.

All batches of these products should be considered unsafe until they can be analysed by the relevant national regulatory authorities, the WHO said.

While these four products have been identified in The Gambia, it apprehended that they may have been distributed, through informal markets, to other countries or regions, and it “is important to detect and remove these substandard products from circulation to prevent harm to patients”.

WHO requests increased surveillance and diligence within the supply chains of countries and regions likely to be affected by these products. Increased surveillance of the informal/unregulated market is also advised, the alert said.

It underlined that all medical products must be approved and obtained from authorised/licensed suppliers, the products’ authenticity and physical condition should be carefully checked, and advice taken from a healthcare professional when in doubt.

“If you have these substandard products, please DO NOT use them. If you, or someone you know, have used these products or suffered any adverse reaction/event after use, you are advised to seek immediate medical advice from a qualified healthcare professional and report the incident to the National Regulatory Authority or National Pharmacovigilance Centre,” the alert said.

“National regulatory/health authorities are advised to immediately notify WHO if these substandard products are discovered in their respective country,” it added.

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Africa becoming graveyard for UN peacekeepers?

The Bangladeshi peacekeepers in the CAR were killed when their vehicle hit an explosive ordnance device on Monday evening…reports Arul Louis

In the latest attacks on UN peacekeepers, three Bangladeshis have died from a bomb attack in the Central African Republic (CAR), barely a week after a Pakistani was killed in Congo, according to a UN spokesperson.

The Bangladeshi peacekeepers in the CAR were killed when their vehicle hit an explosive ordnance device on Monday evening, Stephane Dujarric, the spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Tuesday.

Another Bangladeshi peacekeeper was injured and is in hospital, he added.

On Friday, a Pakistani peacekeeper was killed in Congo when a base in Minembwe, South Kivu, was attacked “by suspected Twirwaneho combatants,” he said.

Dujarric added that attacks on peacekeepers are “war crimes”.

The Bangladeshis were killed when they were on patrol, nearly five kilometre from the CAR peacekeeping mission’s temporary base in the Ouham-Pende Prefecture, he said.

According to the peacekeeping mission, the Bangladeshi battalion patrol was to protect civilians.

The CAR peacekeeping operation known as MINUSCA, from the French initials for Mulitdimensional Integrated Mission in CAR, was created in 2014, taking over an earlier operation set up in 2009.

It has 14,400 personnel with 1,333 Bangladeshi troops.

The operation has claimed the lives of 169 peacekeepers, 10 of them Bangladeshis.

In January three Bangladeshi peacekeepers were killed in the CAR when their vehicle hit a landmine.

The Congo peacekeeping operation known as MONUSCO, an acronym derived from French for Organisation Stabilisation Mission in Congo, was created in 2010 to succeed an earlier mission set up in 1999.

It is the second largest peacekeeping operation with 14,671 personnel, which include 1,929 troops from Pakistan.

More than 431 peacekeepers have died in the operations in Congo, of them, 31 were Pakistanis.

In March, six Pakistani peacekeepers were killed when their helicopter was brought down in Congo.

A MONUSCO statement said that the Twirwaneho fighters had come to the UN base, saying they wanted to surrender but instead attacked it.

According to AfricaNews media, The Twirwaneho militia claims to defend the interests of the Banymulenge community, a Congolese Tutsi minority.

ALSO READ: South African President Ramaphosa to visit to Britain

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South African President Ramaphosa to visit to Britain

Former South African presidents Nelson Mandela, Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma all made state visits to Britain…reports Asian Lite News

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will make a state visit to Britain, Buckingham Palace said on Monday, the first such visit since King Charles succeeded his late mother Queen Elizabeth last month.

Ramaphosa and his wife, Tshepo Motsepe, have accepted an invitation from the new British monarch for the Nov. 22-24 state visit, the palace said.

Former South African presidents Nelson Mandela, Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma all made state visits to Britain.

Britain exported 4 billion pounds ($4.5 billion) of goods and services to South Africa in 2021 and its imports from the country were worth about 8 billion pounds, according to British data. Britain is South Africa’s fourth-biggest export market.

It will effectively see the King and Queen Consort play host and usually includes a lavish state banquet, but full details will be released in the coming weeks.

Any decisions on who should be invited for state visits are made by the Foreign Office, and are seen as the ultimate diplomatic gift; they are an important way for the UK government to shore up relationships with countries that they see as strategically important for reasons such as trade or security.

The Queen’s last state visit was playing host to US president Donald Trump in 2019. A visit from Japan in 2020 was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The King has visited South Africa on a number of occasions since his first tour of the country, which included Pretoria, Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town, in 1997.

His last trip was in 2011, along with the Queen Consort, then the Duchess of Cornwall. The three-day state visit comes as Ramaphosa faces allegations of money laundering in South Africa.

The president has denied the accusations, which include illegally holding around four million dollars in cash at his game ranch in northern South Africa and covering up its theft in an attempt to hide the existence of the money.

The scandal has proved a major blow to his image as a leader committed to stamping out corruption in South Africa.

Later today the King and Queen Consort will carry out their first official engagements since royal mourning for Queen Elizabeth II came to an end.

Two weeks since his mother’s funeral the King, and Camilla, will visit Dunfermline in Scotland to mark its new city status.

It is one of eight towns that have become cities to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

Their Majesties will also host a reception for members of British South Asian communities at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.

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Africa News

Torrential rain wreaks havoc in Ghana

Some residents in the affected areas were seen scooping flood waters from their homes and shops…reports Asian Lite News

Torrential rain hit some parts of Ghana, the capital Accra included, causing flooding in downtown areas and disrupting traffic on major roads.

The intermittent rain, which started in the wee hours of Saturday, continued through to the afternoon. Many major drains carrying running water were overflown, while some road potholes were enlarged and deepened.

Vehicles and commuters to several places within the cities and adjoining communities had to wade through heavy floods to get to their destinations. Some drivers, as a result of poor visibility, had to park their vehicles on the shoulders of roads.

Some residents in the affected areas were seen scooping flood waters from their homes and shops.

Videos and comments about the flooding situation and its attendant impact were posted on social media with residents calling on the government to find a permanent solution to their age-old poor drainage challenges.

Komla Dodze, a resident of Tema, said the torrential rain had destroyed his property.

“In fact, today’s continuous rain has actually destroyed almost everything in my room, including the fridge, furniture, and others, all were flooded,” said the resident.

The Ghana Meteorological Agency on Saturday warned citizens to be cautious in flood-prone areas.

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-Top News Asia News China

China uses new tactics to change its image in Africa

Financial experts have asserted that the BRI has become a big contributor to the debt distress in Africa and the rest of the world…reports Asian Lite News

After eyebrows were raised on China’s debt trap policy under its Belt Road Initiative (BRI), it announced a loan waiver for African countries to change the narrative, however, the amount of these loans was not even 1 per cent of its total lending to the continent, forcing the poor countries to continue to suffer.

The recent cancellation of 23 loans to 17 African countries is not complete cancellation of these loans but just a waiver of the outstanding balance. So these loans are likely to be those that were nearing their end, which means the African countries would continue to suffer under China’s poor debt trap policy.

The Chinese government with its debt trap policy has offered loans to various African countries with higher interest rates that continue to add to the economic woes of the poor African countries.

China has recently emerged as a major lender in more than 32 African countries including Angola ($21.5 billion in 2017), Ethiopia ($13.7 billion), Kenya ($9.8 billion), Republic of Congo ($7.42 billion), Cameroon ($5.57 billion) and Zambia reaching $11.2 billion in 2019.

Financial experts have asserted that the BRI has become a big contributor to the debt distress in Africa and the rest of the world.

Over the last few years, China has extended a total of 1,188 loans to various African countries, which amount to a total sum of USD159.9 billion in loans, according to data compiled by the Global Development Policy Center of the Boston University.

Of the loans, a majority of loans have been extended for transportation and power generation projects, as has been the pattern of Chinese investment elsewhere.

However, as many as 27 of these loans, that amount to USD 3.5 billion have been extended toward defence-related projects. Of these, 13 loans have been provided to the country of Zambia alone, which has received a total loan amounting to USD 2.1 billion exclusively for defence purchases.

Ghana, Cameroon, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Sudan, Sierra Leone and Namibia are other recipients of Chinese defence-related loans.

China’s debt trap policy BRI is often criticised which China is alleged to be using to take control of vital installations in other countries and expand its military presence,the European Times reported.

The economic crisis in Sri Lanka and the deteriorating financial situation in Pakistan has been linked to the stringent conditions of BRI loan repayment.

Think tank Centre for Strategic and International Studies said while the BRI is crucial for development but “China’s hostile economic practices, military expansion, and coercive political and ideological tactics in Africa should not be ignored.”

A report by the US Secretary of States aid the BRI projects became unsustainable due to heavy economic and environmental costs,the European Times reported.

“Largely debt-financed, 23 China’s projects in Africa often fail to meet reasonable international standards of sustainability and transparency, and burden local economies with heavy debt and other problems,” reads the report.

The elite group of G7 countries has time and again slammed the harsh terms of financing for the BRI loans. They made frequent references to the “debt trap” that made Beijing uneasy. Moreover, they proposed an alternative to the BRI, which would be sustainable and transparent.

This and what is happening in Sri Lanka and Pakistan caused the world to look at the BRI with suspicion. Thus, Beijing played a trick of loan cancellation in Africa, observers believed.

China has been cancelling interest-free loans for decades. Hannah Ryder, chief executive of Beijing -based Development Reimagined, said the debt forgiveness move was “the lowest hanging fruit” which helped Beijing hide the harsh repayment conditions of the other bulk BRI loans, the European Times reported.

Harry Verhoeven, senior research scholar at Columbia University, asserted that China tried to counter the debt-trap narrative by forgiving the 23 African loans. “It is not uncommon for China to do something like this [forgive interest-free loans] … now obviously it is connected to the overall debt-trap diplomacy narrative in the sense that clearly there’s a felt need on the part of China to push back,” he said.

Political economist Shahar Hameiri said Chinese loans are given in a hurry, skipping the important part of analysing debt sustainability.”Chinese lending has contributed to debt problems in a number of countries, although it is not necessarily the only or even the primary cause as in Sri Lanka,” Hameiri said, as quoted by the European Times.

Many African countries have voiced their concerns over the unsustainable BRI loans. Zambia has already cancelled its foreign loans which mainly constitute Chinese ones to stop aggravating its debt distress. This means 14 projects under the BRI are withdrawn. 

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