The U.S. has strongly criticized two Chinese nationals arraigned in Nigeria for illegal mining, warning the activity threatens both Nigeria’s sovereignty and the global supply chain.
The United States on Tuesday condemned the alleged illegal mining and smuggling of Nigeria’s solid minerals by two Chinese nationals, warning the act could destabilize the global supply chain and threaten U.S. interests.
The U.S. Mission in Nigeria issued the rebuke following the arraignment of Zhang Hong Lin and Zhao Pei Hai by Nigeria’s anti-graft agency, the EFCC, in Lagos. The two are accused of illegally exporting mica, copper, and lithium-bearing resources.
“Illicit mining threatens Nigeria’s economic future and fuels transnational corruption,” the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria stated. “Accountability in the extractives sector is essential to protecting Nigeria’s sovereignty and ensuring a secure and transparent global supply chain, which is core to U.S. strategic interests.”
The statement cited the EFCC’s ongoing crackdown and warned that such foreign interference undermines Nigeria’s sovereignty.
This marks a further strain on already tense U.S.-China relations, with economic and geopolitical tensions spilling into Africa’s resource-rich territories.