Israel to Deport Unauthorized Immigrants Following Clashes Among Eritreans

 The New York Times published on 3 September 2023 an article titled "Netanyahu Calls to Expel Unauthorized Immigrants After Eritreans Clash" by Patrick Kingsley and Abdi Latif Dahir.  

Tens of thousands of Eritreans have made their way illegally to Israel seeking asylum.  Some support the government in Eritrea while others oppose it.  Clashes between these two groups broke out last week in Tel Aviv during an event organized by the Eritrean embassy to celebrate 30 years of independence from Ethiopia.  Consequently, Israel called for the deportation of all unauthorized immigrants from the country.  

US Urges Saudi Arabia to Identify Killers of Ethiopian Migrants

 The Washington Post published on 31 August 2023 an article titled "U.S. Presses Saudi Arabia on Reported Migrant Massacres" by Missy Ryan, Sarah Dadouch, John Hudson, and Karen DeYoung.  

The Biden administration is pressing the government of Saudi Arabia to identify the military units along the Yemen/Saudi border alleged by Human Rights Watch to have killed Ethiopian migrants and asylum seekers who were trying to enter the country.  The United States has trained the maritime division of the Saudi border guards and the kingdom is the single largest customer for foreign military sales.  

Interview on Developments in Horn of Africa

 Tigrai Press interviewed me for 35 minutes on 22 August 2023 on a range of issues dealing with the Horn of Africa.  They included the situation in Amhara Region and Tigray Region, a possible Ethiopian port in Eritrea, the attack on Ethiopian migrants on the Yemen/Saudi border, the conflict in Sudan, Eritrea's relations with China and Russia, and the election process in the United States.

Joint Investigation of Ethiopian Migrants Killed Entering Saudi Arabia from Yemen

 CBS News published on 22 August 2023 an article titled "Ethiopia Launching Joint Investigation with Saudi Arabia after Report Alleges Hundreds of Migrants Killed by Border Guards."

Ethiopia announced it will launch a joint investigation with Saudi Arabia into the Human Rights Watch report of the killing of hundreds of Ethiopian migrants trying to cross from Yemen into Saudi Arabia.  In the meantime, Ethiopia urged against speculation, noting the "excellent longstanding relations" between Addis Ababa and Riyadh.   

Ethiopian Migrants Killed Trying to Enter Saudi Arabia

 Human Rights Watch published on 21 August 2023 a report titled "'They Fired On Us Like Rain' Saudi Arabia Mass Killings of Ethiopian Migrants at the Yemen-Saudi Border."

Between March 2022 and June 2023, Human Rights Watch research indicates that Saudi border guards killed hundreds of Ethiopian migrants as they tried to cross from Yemen to Saudi Arabia in search of work or asylum.  

Smuggling Migrants from the Horn of Africa to Yemen and Saudi Arabia

The Institute for Security Studies published a report dated November 2017 and titled "Migrant Smuggling: Paths from the Horn of Africa to Yemen and Saudi Arabia" by Peter Tinti, independent journalist.

The report examines the smuggling networks facilitating irregular migration from the Horn of Africa to countries in the Arabian Peninsula. In 2016, well over 100,000 irregular arrivals were recorded in Yemen, 83 percent Ethiopians and 17 percent Somalis. Most of them continued to Saudi Arabia seeking work.

Somali and Ethiopian Migrants Go to Yemen and Saudi Arabia

The Institute for Security Studies (ISS) published on 1 December 2017 an account titled "Path of Insecurity for Migrants Leaving the Horn" by Peter Tinti, ISS consultant.

The author notes that many more Ethiopian and Somali migrants are traveling from the Horn of Africa to, of all places, Yemen and Saudi Arabia, than to Europe. Political discrimination and lack of economic opportunity are the primary drivers for Ethiopians while Somalis cite continuing conflict, famine and employment opportunities in Yemen and Saudi Arabia.

Sino-Algerian Relations

The Middle East Institute published on 31 October 2017 an essay titled "Sino-Algerian Relations: On a Path to Realizing Their Full Potential" by John Calabrese, American University.

This essay discusses the roots, substance and scope, and limitations of the blossoming Sino-Algerian relationship.

China in Namibia: A Force for Good or Not?

The New York Times Magazine published on 2 May 2017 an extensive account focused on Namibia titled "Is China the World's New Colonial Power?" by Brook Larmer.

The author suggests that for some Namibians the flood of Chinese loans and investments doesn't look so much like freedom as it does a new form of colonialism. The new infrastructure projects have saddled the economy with debt and done little so far to alleviate the nearly 30 percent unemployment rate. Somewhere between 10,000 and 100,000 Chinese nationals now live in Namibia. Reflecting on China's image in other African countries, the author concludes that China can be seen by others, in the same instant, as a blessing and a curse.

Chinese Migrants Leave South Africa

Quartz Africa published on 30 April 2017 a story titled "Chinese Migrants Have Changed the Face of South Africa. Now They're Leaving" by Lily Kuo.

South Africa hosts an estimated 350,000 to 500,000 persons of Chinese origin. Some of the families go back several generations while most of them are recent arrivals. The author suggests that today more Chinese traders and entrepreneurs are leaving South Africa than are arriving. The reasons are a bad South African economy, rising xenophobia, crime, and competition from new malls as well as African traders who have forged their own connections in China.

Chinese in Africa

Asia Times published on 19 January 2017 a three part series on Chinese communities in Africa by Doug Tsuruoka. The articles are titled "Chinese in Africa - A Mobile Group with Few Ties to Beijing," "'Independents' Make for a Diverse Chinese Diaspora in Africa," and "Where the Chinese Live in Africa."

Chinese Migrants in Africa: The Numbers Game

African Arguments posted on 19 December 2016 a brief analysis titled "We May Have Been Massively Overestimating the Number of Chinese Migrants in Africa" by Hannah Postel, migration researcher at the Center for Global Development in Washington.

This analysis, based on a year of research in Zambia, looks specifically at the number of Chinese migrants in Zambia. An estimate of 80,000 has commonly been used for Zambia. Her research suggests the actual number is between 13,000 and 23,000. There is also a problem of definition. What constitutes a migrant? Obviously someone who moves permanently qualifies. But what about laborers contracted to work on infrastructure projects, nearly all of whom return to China, and even small traders who may or may not remain for an extended period of time? Senior Chinese officials often use the estimate of one million Chinese living in Africa. But this number too is guesswork.

AFK Insider published on 19 January 2017 an article titled "20 African Countries with the Most Chinese Migrants, And Why These Statistics Are Problematic" by Dana Sanchez. The article provides an estimate of the number of Chinese migrants for 20 African countries.

This article is correct in emphasizing the problematic nature of the numbers of Chinese migrants in Africa. Based on my own experience in asking this question while travelling around Africa, the estimates vary widely. I found that the Chinese embassy consistently had the lowest estimate because it tended to be based on Chinese actually registered at the embassy and many Chinese do not register. Other Chinese and African sources usually had much higher numbers, some ridiculously high. If one includes temporary Chinese laborers in the numbers, the figure can vary enormously from one year to another. As a project is completed, the number falls significantly and as one begins, the number rises.

Sudan's Omar al-Bashir Being Friended by Europe

Foreign Policy published on 31 July 2016 a commentary titled "Bashir Comes in from the Cold" by Nesrine Malik.

The author reports that Europe's obsession with migrants and refugees from Africa and the Middle East has resulted in closer relations with the Omar al-Bashir government in Sudan, which is taking steps to curtail their flow through Sudan.

Impact of China's Economic Downturn on Migrants in Africa

This is Africa published on 30 March 2016 an article titled "Despite Slowdown, China's Migrants Rooted in Africa" by Hangwei Li and Jacqueline Muna Musiitwa.

The article makes the argument that while China's economic slowdown is reducing China's trade and investment in Africa, it is not likely to have a long-term impact on the million plus Chinese migrants living and working in Africa.

China's Engagement in African Agriculture

The Conversation published on 28 March 2016 a commentary titled "Chinese Engagement in African Agriculture Is Not What It Seems" by Ian Scoones, University of Sussex.

Scoones concludes that while food security remains a priority in China, the food will not likely come from Africa.

China and Brazil in African Agriculture

World Development published a special issue in 2016 titled "China and Brazil in African Agriculture."  It contains the following articles pertaining to China, all of which are open access:

--A New Politics of Development Cooperation? Chinese and Brazilian Engagements in African Agriculture by Ian Scoones, Kojo Amanor, Arilson Favareto and Qi Gubo.
--South-South Cooperation, Agribusiness and African Agricultural Development: Brazil and China in Ghana and Mozambique by Kojo Amanor and Sergio Chichava.
--Chinese State Capitalism? Rethinking the Role of the State and Business in Chinese Development Cooperation in Africa by Jing Gu, Zhang Chuanhong, Alcides Vaz, and Langton Mukwereza. 
--Chinese Migrants in Africa: Facts and Fictions from the Agri-food Sector in Ethiopia and Ghana by Seth Cook, Jixia Lu, Henry Tugendhat, and Dawit Alemu.
--Chinese Agricultural Training Courses for African Officials: Between Power and Partnerships by Henry Tugendhat and Dawit Alemu.
--Science, Technology and the Politics of Knowledge: The Case of China's Agricultural Technology Demonstration Centers in Africa by Xiuli Xu, Xiaoyun Li, Gubo Qi, Lixia Tang, and Langton Mukwereza. 

Self-Employed Africans and Chinese in Guangzhou, China

The UCLA International Institute published on 1 October 2015 a study titled "Entrepreneurship and Interracial Dynamics: A Case Study of Self-Employed Africans and Chinese in Guangzhou, China" by Min Zhou, Tao Xu, and Shabnam Shenasi.

The study examines how interacting social forces shape interracial relations and mobility pathways for migrant entrepreneurs in Guangzhou.  It suggests that interactions between African and Chinese entrepreneurs are economically interdependent and socio-culturally contentious processes, shaping a myriad of intersecting identities and creating room for cooperation that transcends race, class, and migrant status.

China and Brazil in African Agriculture

The China and Brazil in African Agriculture Project has just published online a series of studies concerning Chinese and Brazilian support for African agriculture.  They will appear in an upcoming issue of World Development.  The six articles focusing on China are available below:

--A New Politics of Development Cooperation? Chinese and Brazilian Engagements in African Agriculture by Ian Scoones, Kojo Amanor, Arilson Favareto and Qi Gubo.
--South-South Cooperation, Agribusiness and African Agricultural Development: Brazil and China in Ghana and Mozambique by Kojo Amanor and Sergio Chichava.
--Chinese State Capitalism? Rethinking the Role of the State and Business in Chinese Development Cooperation in Africa by Jing Gu, Zhang Chuanhong, Alcides Vaz and Langton Mukwereza.
--Chinese Migrants in Africa: Facts and Fictions from the Agri-food Sector in Ethiopia and Ghana by Seth Cook, Jixia Lu, Henry Tugendhat and Dawit Alemu.
--Chinese Agricultural Training Courses for African Officials: Between Power and Partnerships by Henry Tugendhat and Dawit Alemu.
--Science, Technology and the Politics of Knowledge: The Case of China's Agricultural Technology Demonstration Centres in Africa by Xiuli Xu, Xiaoyun Li, Gubo Qi, Lixia Tang and Langton Mukwereza. 

Micro-Finance Study of Migrants in Hawassa, Ethiopia

Columbia University held a conference on sustainable development in September 2014.  It subsequently posted the best papers from the conference, including one titled "Social Impact Assessment of Micro-Finance: The Case of Migrants in Hawassa, Ethiopia" by Feven Tsehaye. 

The paper investigates why the case of migrants is central to reaching developmental goals, and why micro-finance institutions are capable of tapping into the potential to serve poor migrant communities in urban areas. 

Chinese Migrants and Ethiopian Agriculture

The Future Agricultures Consortium published in July 2015 a paper titled "Jumping into the Sea: Chinese Migrants' Engagement in Non-Traditional Agricultural Commodities in Ethiopia" by Seth Cook and Dawit Alemu.

The paper explores the nature and extent of Chinese migrant's involvement in the demand and supply of non-traditional agricultural commodities in Ethiopia, shares the perspectives of the different actors involved, and discusses the implications of this presence for Ethiopian development.  The principal non-traditional products are pork, vegetables, and tofu; Chinese migrants in Ethiopia are the principal source of demand for these items.