One of the most leading Russia information news agency, RIA Novosti, has reported that a 34-year-old Ghanaian was beaten up in the Kolpino suburb of St. Petersburg and two young men have been arrested with the attack. The story did not give the name of the victim and the relatively small Ghanaian community leaders in the city said they would not like his name be used for a story for obvious reasons.
The city police said they were not interested in recording racially motivated crimes despite criticism raised by President Vladimir Putin early this year at a meeting with regional security directors in a Kremlin.
The physical attack on the Ghanaian was not the latest perpetrated by Russia?s nationalists, especially these days, in this second largest city in Russia. The attacks had spread and continue to spread across the country which was seeking integration into the civilized international community.
In fact, St. Petersburg has now become a fearful city for dark-skinned foreigners and poor foreign students are relocating to other cities and towns although there is no guarantee for their safety as the Russian police were insensitive to foreigners? racial complaints and other cases of violence.
Vice Marshall Edward Apau Mantey, the newly arrived Ghana?s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary meeting with a cross section of the Ghanaian community at the premises of the embassy last weekend cautioned his citizens to adopt extra security measures while in the country. He also urged them to keep close links with the embassy administration.
St. Petersburg, noted for its rich cultural diversity and which foreigners mostly admired, is now hated city for dark-skinned foreigners. It is the hometown of President Putin and the venue where highly representatives of industrialized countries and invited guests will converge to discuss international problems affecting the global society in July.
Source: GhanaWeb
