Africans are 'our guests', attacks on them 'despicable': Hamid Ansari

Vice President Hamid Ansari has condemned the string of assaults on African nationals in India as "despicable", saying they are "our guests" and should be looked after in the wake of "violation of law and order".

Interacting with media on board in the Moroccan capital, Ansari said, "Attack on anyone - whether own person or guest, it is despicable."

"Nobody or no government can say anything different - condemning all types of violence," he said.

He said, "They (Africans) are our guests. We have to look after them in the wake of violation of law and order."

Describing India's ties with African countries as "good", Ansari said, "We greatly value our relationship with African countries and we have always stood by them."

"Even before 1947 we talked of decolonisation of Africa," he said, adding that the stand of the previous UPA government and the present NDA government has been no different.

Ansari is on a five-day visit to two North African countries - Morocco and Tunisia - as part of efforts to build on diplomatic gains from the India-Africa summit held in New Delhi in October last year.

The Vice President said India attaches great importance to Africa, and in that context he was undertaking the trip to Morocco and Tunisia.

There has been a spate of attacks on African nationals in the last few days including killing of a Congolese youth in the national capital and assault on a 23-year-old Nigerian student in Hyderabad.