The United States warns against Huawei over security concerns. For its part, Huawei, a major player in 5G in Mauritius, highlights its contributions to technological development in Africa.
The United States is willing to help Mauritius in the development of the latest technologies, in particular the 5G internet and mobile phone network. The country of Uncle Sam collaborates with the Mauritian government via the Digital Connectivity and Cybersecurity Partnership (DCCP) program. On the other hand, Huawei is a major partner of local telecom operators. In particular, it provides the infrastructure linked to the internet and mobile telephone network. However, the Chinese firm is not well viewed by the American government.
Jennifer Bachus, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Bureau of cyberspace and digital policy, US Department of State, says security concerns with Huawei are still ongoing. “The concerns around Huawei are about security, not American sales. We actually support European and Korean companies, namely Ericsson, Nokia and Samsung, because we believe that having a secure network is better for the sovereignty of a country like Mauritius,” says Jennifer Bachus.
“We do indeed see security challenges with Huawei and this may be a problem for Mauritius,” confirms Henry V. Jardine, United States Ambassador to Mauritius. The latter as well as Jennifer Bachus answered questions from the press on Monday June 24, 2024, following a conference on 5G and emerging technologies at the Le Méridien hotel in Pointe-aux-Piments.
As a reminder, since 2019, Washington has suspected Huawei of spying on behalf of the Chinese government, which the firm has always denied. Huawei is a major player in 5G in Mauritius and around the world. The company highlights its contribution to technological development, and by extension economic development, particularly in the region.
“We have established six hardware innovation and training centers in sub-Saharan Africa for innovation and skills transfer. In April 2022, we launched the Talent Development Program (LEAP) in the region, aiming to detect 100,000 talents in information and communication technologies (ICT) within three years, in order to increase the innovative capacity of young Africans. Technologies and innovation capacity are Huawei's core competencies, and we share them with Africa to meet local needs and for the benefit of Africans,” said Yang Chen, Huawei Vice President for Technology. Sub-Saharan Africa, in 2022.
Asked by Le Défi Quotidien, Huawei's Mauritian office did not wish to comment, only indicating that “the position of the United States is nothing new”.
