Ghana and Nigeria condemn the xenophobic attacks in South Africa

Nigeria and Ghana condemn the ongoing xenophobic violence in South Africa and want the issue of "Afrophobia" to be addressed at the next African Union (AU) summit, Abuja announced on Saturday.

South Africa has been rocked for weeks by protests and unrest targeting undocumented immigrants, which have driven tens of thousands of them to flee the country.

At least 150,000 foreigners have left the country 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 demonstrations and incidents targeting African nationals in South Africa," the Nigerian ministry said in a statement on Saturday.

They "condemned all forms of xenophobia, afrophobia, intolerance and violence against their African brothers," according to the same source.

The two ministers, Ghanaian Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and Nigerian Sola Enikanolaiye, whose countries have the largest economies in West Africa, met on the sidelines of a meeting of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Liberia.

Nigeria has evacuated 1,490 nationals from South Africa, and Ghana at least 926, according to official figures.

South Africa, the richest nation on the continent, has long attracted migrants.

The two ministers stressed the need for "urgent and coordinated regional and continental responses" to address the causes of anti-immigrant tensions and called for the issue of Afrophobia to be raised at the next AU summit, scheduled for early 2027.

In May, Ghana had already requested a debate at the AU on the "xenophobic attacks" in South Africa. It is unclear whether this debate took place.

Earlier this month, Ghana announced the postponement of a visit by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to Accra.

AFP