By George Esunge Fominyen
I was perusing Cameroonian papers on the web when I fell on this story in “Eden newspaper” of 2 June 2008: “Two Chinese fishermen have been seriously injured following clashes with local fishmongers the Chinese are alleged to have been using twin trawlers to fish along the Atlantic coast of Limbe. The incident occurred on Thursday 29 May 2008 in Kange Fishing Port, along the Limbe- Tiko creeks.”
According to the report, “six unidentified boats, allegedly owned by local fishermen attacked the Chinese in their twin trawler at sea, subjected them to torture, severely wounded two and carted away about 300 bags of fish, estimated to be five tons in scientific terms. The radio communication equipment, mobile phones and other valuables belonging to the Chinese fishermen were also seized.”
Further reading got me to understand that conflict had been brewing between local fishermen and Chinese industrial fishing boats in the past months. The locals had even threatened a strike that led the government (in May 2008) to issue an order banning twin trawler fishing along the coast of Cameroon. Eden newspaper sources suppose that administrative officials are allegedly benefiting mouth watering sums of money as kickbacks, thus there is a lot of reluctance on their part to implement the government order.
It is clear that a lot has been written and debated on the recent Chines foray into Africa. But this event may once again raise questions about Chinese motivation to be friendly with the continent. Analysts say that the new giant Chinese economy needs oil to tick; about 25-30 percent of China’s oil imports are from Africa.
Others also say the Chinese influx is also due to its willingness to trade without asking about people’s democratic and human rights conditions. In addition to that, they are ready to act quickly in areas of direct human interest. Instead of withholding help on the pretext that of waiting for governments to come up with Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers while thousands of women are dying during childbirth, China is direct. They build the hospitals for 10 times less, if not for free. Cameroon has tasted of such Chinese largesse.
However, some questions have been troubling Cameroonian if not African thoughts? Is it in exchange of such largesse that Chinese citizens are flooding African countries en masse? Do these acts of goodwill explain the fact that Chinese businessmen are left to do as they please in African countries? The fishermen in the Eden story seem to think that there is some connivance between authorities and the Chinese industrial fishing companies that are practically sending them out of business. When a follow-up story published in the paper on 4 June 2008 and culled from IRN headlined that: “Quarrel over Fishing Rights: Government Spokesman Defends Foreign Fishermen it is easy to assume there’s something fishy about the terms of our relations. A similar string of thought led to a mass protest against Chinese selling beignet (puff puff) in the town of Douala a couple of years ago.
Western governments (for chauvinistic reasons?) have been casting a dark eye on this Sino-African couple. Economists, international relations experts and other intellectuals have been supplying avid readers with material to feast on. Christopher Alden, Daniel Large and Ricardo de Oliveira who are Editors of a recent collection of essays entitled “China Returns to Africa: A Superpower and a Continent Embrace”, even describe “China's expanding relations with Africa” as “the most important dynamic in the foreign relations and politics of the continent since the end of the cold war.”
Now, African elite have also begun questioning the new romance between China and African countries. A friend of mine actually abandoned me in the middle of a radio production training course we were organizing. He was headed to produce a TV documentary which will be questioning whether China’s step into Africa is the new colonisation of the continent or the success of globalisation? What are your views on the matter?
I love what you guys tend to be up too. This type of clever work and exposure! Keep up the amazing works guys I've incorporated you guys to my own blogroll.
Posted by: Mdhuset | January 10, 2014 at 12:20 AM
What a data of un-ambiguity and preserveness of precious experience on the topic of unexpected feelings.
Posted by: รับทำ seo | January 21, 2014 at 12:56 AM
Buying the solar power panels is generally high-priced enough.
Posted by: freesolarpanels | January 25, 2014 at 08:37 AM