Ghana and Nigeria condemn anti-immigrant violence in South Africa

Nigeria and Ghana condemned ongoing anti-immigrant violence in South Africa and want the issue of “Afrophobia” discussed at the next African Union summit, Nigeria's government said on Saturday.

South Africa has faced weeks of protests and unrest targeting undocumented immigrants, prompting tens of thousands of people to leave the country. Nearly 150,000 people have left in recent weeks, based on an AFP tally using figures provided by African countries that have repatriated their nationals.

Nigeria's government said the foreign ministers of Ghana and Nigeria discussed “recent Afrophobic protests and incidents targeting African nationals in South Africa” on Friday. It said they condemned xenophobia, Afrophobia, intolerance and violence against fellow Africans.

The ministers met on the sidelines of a gathering of the West African bloc ECOWAS in Liberia. Nigeria has evacuated 1,490 citizens from South Africa, while Ghana has repatriated at least 926.

The ministers called for urgent, coordinated regional and continental responses to address the causes of the anti-immigrant tensions. Ghana's Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and Nigeria's Sola Enikanolaiye said Afrophobia should be raised at the next African Union summit early next year.

In May, Ghana requested an African Union debate on xenophobic attacks in South Africa, but it was not clear whether that debate took place. Earlier this month, Ghana said a visit to Accra by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa had been postponed.