Gauteng — Nigeria and Ghana have formally condemned the recent surge of Afrophobic protests targeting African nationals in South Africa, urging the African Union to intervene. In a joint diplomatic push, the two West African nations are demanding that the escalating xenophobic violence be placed on the official agenda of the upcoming African Union summit.
South Africa has historically been a magnet for migrants from across the continent, drawn by the nation’s relative economic wealth and stability. However, this demographic dynamic has recently sparked a severe humanitarian and diplomatic crisis. Over the past few weeks, tens of thousands of foreign nationals have been forced to flee the country amid a sharp rise in xenophobic protests and targeted violence.
The escalating hostility prompted emergency evacuation efforts for citizens of the affected nations. According to official reports, close to 1,500 Nigerian citizens and nearly 1,000 Ghanaian nationals were recently repatriated from South Africa. This mass exodus was directly triggered after radical anti-immigrant factions issued a strict June 30 deadline, demanding that all undocumented migrants vacate the country or face the consequences.
Addressing the crisis, the official spokesperson for Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a definitive statement outlining the joint stance of both nations. Government spokespersons representing the administrations in Abuja and Accra emphasized that the discriminatory protests fundamentally undermine the core ideals of the African Union.
The institutional spokespersons argued that such hostility directly contradicts the continental body’s foundational principles. By targeting fellow Africans, the anti-immigrant movements are actively working against the established goals of African unity, continental solidarity, and seamless regional integration. Both nations maintain that the African Union must now take a decisive role in addressing and resolving the Afrophobic sentiment on the ground.
