A controversy surfaced this week over a secret $55 million gift from Beijing to the tiny African nation of Sierra Leone to fund the construction of a “chemical industrial fishing port” on an undeveloped stretch of coastline. The coastline is an important stronghold for the local fishing industry, bordering protected rainforest and home to endangered sea turtles and pangolins. The deal has led to renewed controversy in Africa over the Communist Party’s “One Belt, One Road” initiative.
Jane Aspden Gbandewa, who runs a local ecotourism business, said the secret deal came to light after officials in the country’s Bay of Whales region told residents that all land deals had been put on hold because of a deal between the Sierra Leone government and China (the Chinese Communist Party) to build a port there.
According to the Voice of America, Sierra Leone has agreed to sell 250 acres of pristine beach and rainforest to the Chinese (Communist Party of China) for $55 million. The deal would allow China to build an industrial fishing port there.
According to CNN, rumors are now swirling about the deal, with outside rumors that Chinese-owned companies are funding fishmeal mills that have recently flooded the West African coast to produce fertilizer or feed, warned by environmentalists and landowner parties that the toxic odors and waste emitted by these plants will wreak havoc on the rainforest and marine ecology, drastically reducing local catches. The groups requested copies of the legally mandated environmental and social impact assessments, as well as the grant agreement between the CCP and the Sierra Leonean government, to clarify the nature of the project. While both Sierra Leone and the Chinese Communist Party have denied the rumors, they have also refused to disclose details of the agreement reached between them.
On Tuesday (May 18), Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio said the deal was part of China’s “One Belt, One Road” initiative to support the local fishing sector and that all environmental surveys would be completed by then.
The Chinese (Communist) Ministry of Foreign Affairs declined to clarify which Chinese bank or institution was involved, when the funds were sent to Sierra Leone or whether they were still in China, and the terms of the grant: for example, whether a Chinese company would carry out the construction work. It simply responded, “The ownership of the land and the port belongs to Sierra Leone.”
Cobus van Staden, a senior fellow at the South African Institute of International Affairs, noted, “Such results show that any Chinese (Communist Party) deal, no matter how (seemingly) honorable, will be viewed with suspicion, as foreshadowed by the huge trust gap between the national government and local communities. “
“It is not surprising that the ‘debt trap’ narrative has been proven in Africa for a long time. Even though its specifics have been debunked many times, the news story fits so well with the continent’s lived experience that it may never go away.” Staden added.
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