Category: Human Rights
2022 Marks a New Era in U.S.-Ethiopia Ties and an Important Opening for China
The United States followed through with its pledge to strip Ethiopia of its trade privileges under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) in response to "gross violations of internationally recognized human rights." The U.S. Trade Representative announced on Saturday that Ethiopia, together ...
Congolese Workers Face “Dire Conditions” in Foreign-Owned Cobalt Mines, Says NGO
DR Congo's cobalt mining sector is notorious for worker abuse and exploitation. Until now, most of the focus has been on the informal, or artisanal mines where there is no government or corporate oversight, and the presence of child laborers has been well-documented over the years.
The Colonial Connection to Chinese Labor Disputes in Africa
The last year or so has seen a constant drip-drip-drip of social media videos showing Chinese managers abusing African workers. The trend has understandably cast a harsh light on Africa-China labor relations. To my mind, the resultant framing of Chinese labor practices in Africa as neo-colonial is ...
Sicomines Wanted a Dialogue With Congolese Labor Advocates… And They Sure Got an Earful
The management at the embattled Sino-Congolese mining company Sicomines reached out to local labor activists for a dialogue about the working conditions at the Chinese-run joint venture. They got an earful last week, particularly from labor advocate Don ...
China Could Factor Into the U.S. Debate Over Duty-Free Trade with Ethiopia
A lively debate is underway in the United States now over whether Trade Representative Katherine Tai should remove Ethiopia's duty-free access to the U.S. market as part of the African Growth and Opportunity Act or AGOA. The White House is threatening ...
China’s Role in Ghana’s Unfolding Fishing Catastrophe
While the Ghanaian government took decisive action earlier this year to crack down on illegal mining known as Galamsey where Chinese illegal mining interests have been active for years, Accra has done absolutely nothing to combat persistent illegal fishing in its ...
Ethiopia, China and the Future of African Conflict
Ethiopia is giving us a glimpse of a set of dynamics that could come to shape African life in complicated ways. Last week, the Biden administration announced new sanctions aimed at reducing violence in the Tigray region, where conflict between the forces of President Abiy Ahmed and ...
Reports of a Chinese “Black Site” in the UAE Used to Target Uyghurs Gaining Momentum in U.S. Media
The Washington Post picked up on a story today about an alleged Chinese "black site" in Dubai that was reportedly used to detain a young Chinese woman and at least two Uyghurs. The Post based its Editorial on a story published last ...
Report: Human Rights Abuses Cloud China’s Investment Push in The Global South
The steadily growing presence of Chinese companies in developing countries has been accompanied by an increase in social, environmental, and human rights violations that threaten Beijing's ambitions to become a "responsible great power," according to the findings in a new report published Tuesday by ...
Chinese Companies’ “Eat Bitter” Management Style Just Doesn’t Work in Africa
Forget debt traps, Huawei ‘back-doors' and vaccine diplomacy. They might be the disputes that define our current polarized moment. But I’m willing to bet they won’t have the staying power of the one – the original – dispute that has haunted Chinese engagement with Africa since the ...
U.S. Ethnic Cleansing Charges Against Ethiopia and China May Be Helping to Foster Closer Ties Between Addis and Beijing
The U.S. State Department submitted a report to Congress this week that named both Ethiopia and China among a group of countries that commits ethnic cleansing against their own people. The designation has roiled ties between the U.S. and Ethiopia, ...
China’s Xinjiang Coalition Holds as Not a Single African or Muslim Majority Country Signs New Human Rights Statement
China's hard work in compelling African, Middle Eastern, and most other Global South countries to avoid criticizing Beijing on human rights issues in Xinjiang appears to be paying off. On Tuesday, Canada along with 43 other countries submitted a joint statement to the United ...