Dismayed at the rough treatment meted out them, scores of African students on Monday staged a protest at Jantar Mantar against increasing attacks on them and demanded that the Indian Government act swiftly to stop such incidents.

“We want the Government’s support as the incidents of attacks on people from African continent are increasing in the city. The Indian Government needs to ensure safety of African nationals and act swiftly on such incidents,” said a protester at Jantar Mantar.

The demonstration came in the wake of a string of attacks on African nationals, especially students, in the national Capital and elsewhere, which has caused outrage among them.

It may be noted that on May 20, a Congolese national was beaten to death by three men after an altercation over hiring of an auto-rickshaw in Vasant Kunj area turned violent.

On May 25, a Nigerian student in Hyderabad was allegedly beaten by an Indian over a parking dispute. On May 28, four separate cases of alleged assault on African nationals in Delhi were reported, adding to the growing number of such attacks.

The Indian Government has assured angry African envoys of protection to their nationals in India, with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj personally monitoring the developments. She spoke to lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung and asked him to initiate measures to secure African national living in the different parts of Delhi.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh had summoned Delhi Police Commissioner Alok Verma to his residence and instructed him to take all measures to ensure the safety of each and every foreigner belonging to various nations of African continent.

In another protest, scores of people from eastern Nigeria staged a demonstration at Jantar Mantar demanding “freedom” and seeking the Indian Government’s help in “restoring sovereignty” of their homeland.

The demonstrators, hailing from Biafra in eastern Nigeria, paid homage to those killed during the 1967-1970 period while defending Biafra and lit candles in their memories. Also, they demanded release of their leader Nmamdi Kanu jailed since October 2015.

Nigeria after gaining Independence in 1960 plunged into a civil war with its eastern State Biafra seceding from it and existing as an Independent State from May 30, 1967 to January 1970.

After a two-and-half-year-long war in which a large number of Biafrans died, the State was finally reunited with Nigeria. “Biafra was there before Nigeria was created in 1960. We are asking the world community including the Government staff of India to help Biafra in restoring its sovereignty,” said Peter, one of the demonstrators.

“We want freedom for our people. We want support from the Indian Government for the people of Biafra,” said another demonstrator, Prince George.

Similar demonstrations and memorial services were organised by the consultative council committee of Biafrans in different cities of the world.