Nigeria and Ghana have jointly condemned the wave of anti-immigrant violence sweeping across South Africa, describing the attacks as unacceptable and calling for urgent action to protect African citizens living in the country.
The two West African nations also want the growing problem of Afrophobia to become a major agenda item at the next African Union (AU) Summit, insisting that African leaders must work together to end hostility against fellow Africans.
The position was reached during a meeting between Nigeria’s Minister of state in Foreign Ministry, Sola Enikanolaiye, and his Ghanaian counterpart, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, on the sidelines of the ECOWAS meeting in Liberia.
Both ministers denounced xenophobia, intolerance and violent attacks directed at African migrants, stressing that such actions threaten the unity and integration of the continent.
South Africa has witnessed weeks of protests targeting undocumented immigrants, forcing thousands of foreign nationals to flee.
The unrest has triggered one of the largest movements of African migrants in recent years, with nearly 150,000 people reportedly leaving the country.
Nigeria has already evacuated 1,490 of its citizens from South Africa, while Ghana has repatriated at least 926 nationals to ensure their safety.
The ministers urged African governments to adopt coordinated regional and continental strategies aimed at addressing the root causes of the tensions, while promoting peaceful coexistence among African countries.
They maintained that no African should face discrimination or violence in another African nation, adding that stronger cooperation is needed to preserve the vision of a united and integrated continent.
The renewed diplomatic effort comes after Ghana earlier sought an AU debate on xenophobic attacks in South Africa, while recent tensions also led to the postponement of a planned visit by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to Accra.
With concerns growing over the humanitarian impact of the violence, both countries expressed hope that the African Union will take decisive steps to confront Afrophobia and strengthen the protection of migrants across the continent.
