Nigeria, Ghana Seek AU Debate on Anti-Migrant Attacks in South Africa

Nigeria and Ghana have jointly condemned the ongoing anti-immigrant violence in South Africa, calling for the issue of "Afrophobia" to be placed on the agenda of the next African Union (AU) Summit.

The appeal follows weeks of unrest in South Africa targeting undocumented migrants, forcing thousands of African nationals to flee the country. According to reports, nearly 150,000 people have returned to their home countries after the violence escalated.

During a meeting on the sidelines of the ECOWAS gathering in Liberia, Nigeria's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Sola Enikanolaiye, and Ghana's Foreign Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, strongly condemned xenophobia, intolerance, and attacks against fellow Africans.

The two ministers stressed the need for urgent and coordinated action across the continent to address the root causes of anti-immigrant tensions and promote African unity.

Nigeria has so far evacuated 1,490 of its citizens from South Africa, while Ghana has repatriated at least 926 nationals affected by the unrest.

They also urged the African Union to hold a formal debate on Afrophobia during its next summit, arguing that the growing violence against African migrants threatens regional integration and solidarity.

South Africa, Africa's most industrialised economy, has long attracted migrants seeking better economic opportunities, but recurring outbreaks of anti-immigrant violence continue to raise concerns across the continent.

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