Nigeria and Ghana have condemned the ongoing anti-immigrant violence in South Africa and want the issue of “Afrophobia” discussed at the next African Union summit.
South Africa has been swept by weeks of protests and unrest targeting undocumented immigrants, causing tens of thousands to flee the country.
Nearly 150,000 people have left in recent weeks, according to an AFP tally based on figures provided by African countries that have repatriated their nationals.
On Friday, the foreign ministers of Ghana and Nigeria discussed the “recent Afrophobic protests and incidents targeting African nationals in South Africa”, the Nigerian government said.
“(They) condemned all forms of xenophobia, Afrophobia, intolerance and violence against fellow Africans,” it said.
The two ministers from West Africa’s largest economies were meeting on the sidelines of a gathering of the West African economic bloc ECOWAS in Liberia.
Nigeria has evacuated 1,490 nationals from South Africa, while Ghana has repatriated at least 926.
South Africa, the continent’s wealthiest nation, has long been a magnet for migrants.
The ministers stressed the need for “urgent, coordinated regional and continental responses” to address the causes behind the anti-immigrant tensions.
Ghana’s Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and Nigeria’s Sola Enikanolaiye said Afrophobia should be raised at the next AU summit early next year.
In May, Ghana requested an AU debate on “xenophobic attacks” in South Africa. It was not clear if it materialised.
Earlier this month, Ghana said a visit to Accra by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa had been postponed.
Michael Olugbode
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